Bizzare
by selkie-boi
Summary: Hiya! This is my first fic. Its just as its name suggests! :P It may be a bit rubbish at the start but plz read on and it will be better. I promise ;) plz r and r
1. Libraries, Fists and Lunch

Selkie: Hiya! Welcome to my first ever Fanfic , Bizzare!  
  
*crowd cheers*  
  
Selkie : This may be a little boring at the start, but i promise it will get better! Expect turnips, vampires and buttons! You`ve been warned! Lol :P  
  
Selkie: Well, I`ll shut up just now and get on with my story. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter One - Libraries, Fists and Lunch  
  
Karyuu ran down the dull corridors as fast as he could, his backpack swinging about on his shoulders. He passed the English rooms, one by one, then hurtled down the stairs fast as he could go. He ran down the stairs and then felt a jerk behing his navel as he plunged to the floor. A fist withdrew from his stomach as he landed on the grey floor and a towering shadow fell over his curled-up body. "Well, well. What do we have here? " The boy was David Gilmour, the tallest, scariest, toughest guy in Karyuus year. Everyone was terrified of him. "Looks like my pal, Karyuu is looking for his friends, "he said in a sneering voice, "Where could they be?" He lifted his arm and before he could punch the boy on the floor, Karyuu jumped to his feet and kicked David hard in the shin. He took his chance and ran past the winpering boy, past the Library and into the Third Year`s Milling Area, knocking into a few people by mistake. He rubbed his stomach where he had been punched and lifted up his shirt. Under the clothing, a huge bruise had formed. Karyuu lowered his shirt and continued to rush to the Dinner Hall. He pushed the door open and walked over to his usual seat beside his best friends. His dirty-blonde hair was out of place and messy and just as he sat down his friend Oushitsu was quick to notice. "What happened to you?" he asked as the other members of the group arrived at the table. "Erm....., "Karyuu mumbled. He could hardly speak after Davids attack , "Fell." He opened his bag and took out a tuna roll, a packet of crisps and a bottle of water. He stared into his bag in horror. "Oh no.........,"he muttered. His other friends noticed his lack of movement. "What`s up?" asked Shouri, his other friend. Shouri had the darkest eyes emaginable. Not dark as in arnger, but dark as in the colour. As Jordan looked up, Shouri`s eyes were fixed on his and even though he was his friend, Karyuu couldn`t help shivering as his dark, dark eyes focused on him. "Erm, I just remembered that I had to take my library book back days ago. I didn`t realise! I`ll get a puni [[* Selkie: Note. This is a slang term used by me meaning a Punishment Exercise :)*]] for sure!" Karyuu`s friends all looked up at him. Shouri, Oushitsu and Karamu had always been his friends, and Yuuga and Tabibito had been his on-off friends for a while. "I`m really sorry i got to go take it back," Karyuu said standing up and shoving his lunch in his pocket, "See you after school. Bye." His friends said goodbye and Karyuu ran back the way he came in. He spotted his other friends in the corridor talking. Shougen was younger that Karyuu but in his year and he had become really good friends with her in the last while. Their blue eyes met [[* Selkie: Karyuu and Shougen`s :) *]] and they gave each other a friendly smile. Zoe was tall and she was Shougen`s friend but Karyuu gave her a small wave whcih was returned. Karyuu ran up the corridor leading to the library and entered the staircase which was full of people going their places. He went up the red corridor and through the double doors. He then pushed the Library door open and went in to the room. There was a musty smell in the room and Karyuu looked around for the `Returned Books` box. He found it near the back table and dropped his book (The Subtle Knife) inside. He thought to himself as he gazed around the dusty room which was quite a good size for a school library and decided to rent out another book. Luckily, there was no one else in the room at that moment in time so no one would know he brought a book in late. The room was deadly silent and as Karyuu wandered round the shelfs, looking at various books.Although the library was a decent size, or so Karyuu thought, there wasn`t that good books in it.All old,smelly,ripped,dull,uninteresting books.Loads of them. Karyuu sighed as he sat down on the uncomfortable chair. He had light blue eyes, blondish hair and not many spots on his face. He was middle-sized for 14, though he was getting taller in the last month. He liked all things fantasay. Final Fasntasy, anime, manga, Kingdom hearts, not to mention that he could draw pretty well, but really wanted to draw like his older friend, Fuji who was Shougen`s brother. As he sat alone, bored to death in the old library thinking about his life.He stared around and realised that there was a book lying on the floor. It looked so misplaced on it`s own, on the floor. He walked over and picked it up, leaving his bag on the floor, examining the book`s cover. No pictures. No writing.Strange. He flicked the book open and scrolled through the pages. Blank, except for one thing.One page with four words on it.Nothing except one small sentence, if it was a sentence.The words weren`t English, or any language Karyuu understood.He read them aloud. "Pentos Marco Quentis Venuso," he said. He jumped as the book`s pages began moving. It stopped at a page near the start and some words appeared on the page. Karyuu gasped as the words were scrawled on the page. Speak louder. Karyuu squinted at the writing.How did it happen? It was simply impossible.Karyuu looked around to see if anyone was there but still, he was alone. Yet again, more words were written on the book pages.Karyuu couldn`t believe what it said. Come on Karyuu. Don`t be afraid. No, he was imagining it. He should go out for some fresh air.This was not happening, he decided.But, yet again words appeared. Please. Please say the words, Karyuu. He sighed again. "I can`t believe this,"he groaned.He looked around, feeling a total freak talking to himself. "Pentos Marco Quentis Venuso,"he said and immediatly gasped at the page.More writing appeared, but this time in a different handwriting. This time the words were sinister, mocking him. Ha ha. Stupid boy.We`ve got you now. "What?,"exclaimed Karyuu. He felt the room around him disappearing.His backpack, his table, the book, even the floors and walls. Noting was left and eventually he passed out, floating in darknes.  
  
Selkie: Heehee! A cliffhanger :P Please review and the next Chapter will be up soon. Sorry if it`s a bit short, ill try a bit harder next time, but im tired just now! *yawns* My friend Calvin will be helping me with this fic, so ill tell you when hes here! C ya guys! , The storys gonna get muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch better! :D 


	2. Turnips Vampires and Sore Sore Heads

Selkie : Hiya! It`s me again.Back for the next chapter of Bizzare.Ok, this chapter will introduce a lot of new characters and the world has all changed for Karyuu, literally. Heehee Read on! Enjoy! :P  
  
********************************** Chapter Two - Turnips, Vampires and Sore, sore Heads  
  
The teenage vampire ran through the halls, his feet slapping against the damp floor, torches flaring on the walls. "How can i outrun them?"he thought.  
  
His name was Calvin. He was the prince of Kindom X, the Region of the Vampires. He hated it. All the attention he got, he couldn`t bear it. He decided to run away.From his castle, from his family, from his enemies, from his fears.  
  
He was nearly out the castle now, gaining on the door. His thick, black hair was waving about in the air whooshing past him. His brown eyes were scared, scared that the guards might find him and then they would do the worst things emaginable to him.Even if he was the prince.  
  
He ran faster, knowing he was nearly there, nearly free. He reached forward to seize the large doorknob of the Castle Doors and then he felt pain like never before. He crumpled to the floor.  
  
"Prince Calvin Till Alexandross 12th Kikumaru.What where you thinking?" said a sinister voice, muffled by something metal.  
  
Calvin looked up. He stared into the cold eyes of the Supreme Royal Knight, leader of all Vampire Knights of the castle.Calvin then shot a death-glare at the Knight and immediately his eyes turned blood-red and his two side teeth grew until they were fangs. His skin turned pale and he jumped up.High.Higher than a normal human. His feet slammed against the wall and he flipped off it, springing behind the guard and hissing. He kicked out and the knight, who stumbled against a wall, brandishing his sword.  
  
"Prince or no prince, you`re dead!" yelled the knight, running towards Calvin, sword outstretched. Calvin dodged the attack, rolling on the floor and then jumped up, bringing out his two daggers from his belt. He lunged at the Knight and was merely pushed off by the burly vampire.  
  
"Now........you die," he said to Calvin raising his sword " I`m gonna enjoy this!" His sinister laughing echoed off the walls.  
  
*************************  
  
"He looks sick, Kiru, I think we should just leave him in bed"  
  
"No, Leah. I`ll carry him round for a few minutes more and then we`ll wake him."  
  
"All right then"  
  
Karyuu`s head was spinning. He could hear the voices but couldn`t make sense of the words. What had happened? Where was he? Was he still in the library? And just who was that talking? So many questions he wanted to ask. Right now he could even move. Slowly, he peered through one eye, revealing their azure blue colour slightly. He looked roung.A house.A plain ordinary house.But how? The room was colouful with pictures on the wall. As Karyuu looked at these pictures they seemed to be moving. Or maybe it was just him. Very slowly he opened both his eyes and sat up on the soft thing he was lying on. A bed.  
  
"Quick Kiru!Look he`s waking up!" came a voice. It was a soft voice, quite high pitched but not too much.  
  
Karyuu looked around to get a better view of who was talking to him. Or as he looked at the owner of the voice, the question became `what` was talking to him.A turnip. A turnip was talking to him.  
  
"Yep, I`m going mad" he thought "Turnips can`t talk" His head was throbbing. He couldn`t remember anything, except a book. A wierd book.  
  
"Oh, so you`ve decided to wake up?"came a voice, booming through the room.  
  
Karyuu jumped."Oh my god! What`s going on here?"  
  
"It`s OK. We`re only helping you" the turnip said "We found you lying on the plains so we.......  
  
"Plains?What are you talking about?Oh, god.This is ridiculas, I`m arguing with a turnip!A bloody turnip!What`s going on?"yelled Karyuu.  
  
"Well..."came the booming voice.Karyuu jumped again.  
  
"Oh, Kiru shutup! You`re frightening him!" said the turnip, apparently talking to the walls "Let me explain....."  
  
The Turnip hopped up on to the bed beside Karyuu, and just then Karyuu noticed something about the house. It was moving.  
  
"Ok.We`re sorry if we scared you.We found you in the Plains of X, near the vampire kingdom.Horrible place, really.Nasty things, vampires......"said the turnip. Karyuu notices it had big eyes on it as well as a small mouth, "You looked very sick and you weren`t speaking so we put you inside Kiru" Boom boom boom. The house plodded on as the turnip explained pointless things, well they seemed pointless to Karyuu. What he wanted to know was if he was even awake. He pinched himself. Nope. He was wide awake.  
  
"Wh - where are we?" he asked, stuttering.  
  
"Inside Kiru, that`s this house we`re in!"the Turnip replied. Karyuu jumped, realising who the booming voice was. The house could talk to.  
  
"N - no. Where in the world are we. What world?" Karyuu asked the vegetable.  
  
"Ooooooooh! "the turnip said "See, Kiru. I told you he was from another world. The wings gave it away!" Karyuu froze. Wings? What wings. He slowly raised his hand and felt around his back. There was something sticking out his back. He hadn`t noticed that his school shirt was off and he was shirtless.  
  
"Do you have a mirror?"he asked the turnip. It looked pleased and nodded itself and took out a pink and white wand with a star on the end.  
  
"Yep.I forgot to say to you, my name is Leah and I`m not only a turnip. I`m a Magic Turnip"it said.  
  
"Oh god......what next?" sighed Karyuu. The tunrip turned round and waved the wand which was floating around it`s side. Immediately a full-sized mirror appeared on the wall.  
  
"There you go!"said Leah.  
  
Karyuu walked over to the mirror, although he didn`t dare to look. He winced and turned around to look at his bare back.......which was now covered in feathers. Two massive dove like poked out of his shoulder blades. He looked like a teenage angel.  
  
"Oh my god, you didn`t know you had those? Opps, my bad!" the turnip giggled. A huge sound that was kind of feminine echoed through the house. The house, Kiru was laughing. Karyuu asked Leah for some clean clothes, whcih were conjured up in an instant and he changed into them. There was an orange t-shirt with a pair of jeans and he kept his Vans skater shoes on. He turned to Leah.  
  
"So, let me get this straight.I`m in another world, another reality. And I have wings and things like vampires, talking turnip.........." he started and was interrupted by Leah coughing, "....a magic Turnip then. And talking, moving houses exist too?"  
  
"Yes," the house said.  
  
"Ok then. So can I go home now?" Karyuu asked.  
  
"Well............erm....." Leah mumbled " It`s not that simple, you see" Karyuu frowned as his wings gave a flutter and ripped through his t-shirt, stretching out to their full size, knocking down a vase on a table on the way.  
  
"Why?"he asked.  
  
"Well, there are seven places of mystery that hold the power to warp to different worlds. If you gather a piece from each place, you can do something that can take you back. If you want, me can take you there."  
  
Karyuu couldn`t think with all this information in his head. It was throbbing "So, could you help me get back then?"  
  
"Ok" the house and the turnip agreed. The turnip waved it`s wand and a hand appeared and shook Karyuu`s hand. He laughed.  
  
"Ok then, let`s get moving! Oh, by the way could I go out for some fresh air?"he asked  
  
"Yeah sure, I`ll come too" said Leah. hey walked out the room and down the blue staircase. They walked out of the door and Karyuu`s jaw dropped.  
  
In front of him, was an endless floor of lush grass and above was a sky of deep deep red. It was getting dark, he could tell even if it was another world. Some wierd rocks and trees stood up from place to place and behind Kiru there was a gigantic mountain, with clouds swirling round it`s tip. It was a beautiful land-scape, if it weren`t for the dark, dreary looking castle in the distance. It was a horrible looking place. Karyuu grinned.  
  
"Mind if I try out my wings?"he asked the house and the turnip.  
  
"Go ahead!"the turnip grinned back. Karyuu looked into it`s eyes. Something was familiar about it`s smile and it`s eyes.He couldn`t work out what.He turned to the house.She even had a large smile and big shiny eyes. He spread his wings and jumped. He flopped to the floor in a heap. He laughed.  
  
"I`m not very good at this am I?" he said. Leah and Kiru giggled.  
  
"I`ll give you the knowledge of flight!" Leah said waving her wand. Karyuu froze and he suddenly knew everything there was to know about flight. He jumped once more and he soared into the air. He went higher and higher and higher and finally plummeted to the floor.  
  
"Wooooooooooooooohooooooooooo!"he screamed as he stopped just above the house. Then he spotted it. A figure grabbing on to Kiru`s roof. It had terrifying red eyes and had blood smeared on it`s face. Although they didn`t know, they were looking at Prince Calvin of Kingdom X, in vampire mode, ready to strike.  
  
*************************  
  
Selkie: Wooooo! What an ending. Ok, i told you i`d try harder! Ok, Calvin obviously survived the fight with the knight. Ok, since Calvin in the story is based on my friend Calvin in real life, he`ll give me some help with the next chapter, although i`ll still write it. The next chapter will go deeper into the history of Leah, Kiru and Calvin and also a new character will turn up as the group set up a team! I`ll say no more........ C ya! 


	3. Blood Sugar and Magic

Selkie : Hiya! Ok, guys, just to tell ya, this is the first chapter written by my friend Calvin!  
  
*crowd cheers*  
  
Cally : Thank you, thank you!  
  
Selkie : Ok, so give me the comments and ill give them to cally! Enjoy!  
  
+ + + + + + + + + +  
  
Spoilers: Nothing much, just why Calvin left the castle. Also this is a longer chapter than the last two.  
  
Disclaimer: Bizzare Saga is copyright of Jordan and Calvin. All art, characters and scenario are joint projects by Jordan-Chan and Calvin-Sama ~ (Project Alternate Reality)  
  
Authors` Note: Bonjour! My name is Calvin and I will be writing chapters in turn with Selkie, I hope this will give the story we are both trying to get across a fresher feeling and some depth into the world of Bizzare Saga. Also I am working on making the official website for our Fic and hopefully it will be up soon. So I think we should get going on this chapter then ....... :)  
  
************************************  
  
Chapter Three - Blood Sugar and Magic  
  
` No, we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars ` ~ Oscar Wilde [lady Windermere`s fan]  
  
"What are you looking at Karyuu?" Leah called from the plains, running into Kiru`s top floor for a better look, "Why have you stopped flying all of a sudden?"  
  
She was right, he had stopped flying. He hovered motionless, floating in mid air, staring helplessly into the terrifying gaze of the figure on the rooftop of Kiru, the talking house.  
  
"Come on Karyuu, what`s wrong? Tell us!" the turnip exclaimed poking it`s small body out of the house window.  
  
Karyuu felt his upper lip tremble uncontrollably, he pryed his crystal clear blue eyes of the fiend that was watching him with the most evil intesions.  
  
"Erm......" he stuttered, playing with his t-shirt, lifting it up ever so slightly to reveal the trickle of blood coming from his navel, due to David Gilmour`s attack "There`s a ....a boy on the roof!"he called.  
  
"Could it be a vampire?"Leah whispered to herself, brandishing her star tipped wand from her tiny hands, ready to strike if necessary. Suddenly there came a massive sound. Kiru bellowed a loud, worried shriek, obviously in alarm to Karyuu`s warning and started stomping her feet and shaking her gigantic structure in attempt to discard whatever was on top of her roof.  
  
Karyuu fluttered his wings and turned to face the unknown shadow on the roof, it`s deep crimson eyes watching him menacingly.  
  
"Watch out Karyuu! If that is a vampire, it would have smelled the blood from your cut on your stomach!" Leah shouted at her winged companion, but it was too late. The vampire had already lunged itself at Karyuu and had knocked him out of the air, into the vast field below.  
  
"Kiru!" Leah siad in a concerned voice "Please lift me down! I have to help Karyuu!"  
  
"Of course" the house boomed while it raised it`s huge hand to the window.  
  
"Thanks, Kiru" Leah spoke as she patted the wall two times and hopped onto the massive palm that Kiru held out for her.  
  
Meanwhile, back at the plains, Karyuu and the vampire where wrestling to the floor.  
  
"Get away from me!" Karyuu shouted whilst evading another lunge from the vampire`s claws. As they landed, Karyuu jumped agin and out stretched his beautiful wings, but something was wrong. His left wing was torn, some feathers missing and it was struggling to keep him aloft. He looked down to see the vampire staring up at him with those hypnotising, deep crimson eyes.  
  
He could not hold on much longer, he knew that he was going to fall to his death.  
  
"How could I?" he thought "A simple ordinary boy match up against a vampire? What did I ever do to deserve this?" But before he had time to answer his own question, he was falling....  
  
Karyuu opened his blue eyes to find the vampire leaning over him, pinning him down to the floor. He had pale skin, dark red eyes and musty balck hair, which was clumpy and slightly longer than Karyuu`s own sandy hair. He looked a little older than him as well.15 maybe? The vampire boy gave Karyuu a faint smiled and slid his hand up the winged boy`s t-shirt, reaching for the cut on Karyuu`s navel. Karyuu gazed into the other boy`s eyes and they both stopped in their tracks. Even though Karyuu was near death, the gaze was almost.... comforting. But that soon changed as the vampire stuck his finger into the younger boy`s wound.  
  
Karyuu screamed a short high scream and then winced as the boy drove his finger deeper into his skin. He watched as the other boy finally removed his now blood soaked finger and slid in into his mouth, revealing two sharp fangs. He licked off the remains of blood and Karyuu knew the was his chance and kicked out his legs, his feet slamming into the vampire`s stomach, sending him flying across the grass. Karyuu stood, clutching his stomach and suddenly there was a loud crash behing the other boy.  
  
"Kiru!" he shouted jumping up and down once, waving in the direction that the house was coming in.  
  
"Hiya!" it said in a deep, yet girly voice.  
  
"Hurry!" he replied. He glanced round to see the vampire starting to stand up.  
  
Kiru, now closer, outstretched her arm and placed Leah next to Karyuu. The tiny turnip hugged the giant finger as she landed. Kiru smiled. Leah then ran up to Karyuu and hugged him too.  
  
"Leah.Kiru.We need to get out of here!" Karyuu said, panicking.  
  
"No way! We`re gonna fight! Come on!"Leah exclaimed  
  
"But.... I mean..... I can`t fight!" Karyuu said.  
  
"Well you can now!" said Leah waving her wand. Suddenly, Jordan`s clothes changed. He was wearing a black long-sleeved t-shirt and balck tight trousers. Over them was a white toga, fastened by a belt and he had orange sweatband-like cuffs round his wrists and ankles. He wore white and orange boots with lots of buckles on his feet. He also, to his surprise, had a sword in a sheath strapped round his body from his waist to his shoulder.  
  
"Wow! Just like Final Fantasy! What did you do to me?" he asked Leah with an astounded look on his face.  
  
"I upgraded your fighting skills to knight level!" the turnip replied as Karyuu unsheathed his sword and examined it. He put it back.  
  
"How can you fight though?" he asked.  
  
He was replied with one word. "Simple"  
  
Leah waved her wand and in a puff of smoke, Leah emerged as a human. She was cute, with her hair pink and smooth flicking out at the back. She had large, wide, cute eyes and a cheeky grin. She wore a pink strap top and hot pants with pink slip-on trainers on her feet. And wierdest of all, there was a pink flower bud at the end of her hair. She was about Karyuu`s height.  
  
"Ta-da!" she said posing.  
  
Karyuu stopped and looked into her eyes. He definately recognised her now. He always looked at people`s eyes to look into the person, so he recognise the pair in front of him. It could be? Could it be her? The same cute expressions and voice and now he also had a thought about Kiru too. Could it be them? His thoughts were broken by a hissing behind him. He turned round to see the vampire getting up.  
  
"Quick! How do we defeat him?" Karyuu said.  
  
"Sugar!" boomed Kiru.  
  
"Oh yeah!" said Leah "We need to feed him sugar!"  
  
By now the sky was getting darker than it was but dark in this world, meant red.  
  
In a wave of her wand, Leah conjured up a bag of sugar and a spoon and handed them to Karyuu.  
  
"You have to be joking.... "smirked Karyuu.  
  
"Yep, sugar!" said Kiru. "Off you go then!"  
  
Karyuu looked at his companions then to his bag of sugar then to the boy. He was now fully recovered, except for a cut on his cheek. It then lunged at them.  
  
"No!" yelled Leah, swiping her wand. A shower of stars flew out the tip and slammed into the vampire with a surprising force. Then, as it jumped again, Karyuu unsheathed his sword and struck a blow into the creature`s chest. It deflected the blow back at Karyuu and slashed his face. Karyuu stumbled backwards as Leah jumped over him and smacked the vampire across the face with the wand.  
  
"Cheek!" Leah exclaimed, annoyed at the rudeness of the vampire. Karyuu grabbed the spoon and scooped out some sugar and ran forward. He stood in front of the creature and tackled it to the floor. He sat, stradled over it, so it couldn`t move and shoved the spoon into it`s mouth. It`s eyes bulged and it shuddered and lay still on the fresh grass. Karyuu jumped back with fright as the boy awoke from his spell.  
  
"Could someone tell me where I am?" it said sitting up. It had a posh, clear voice and then, it slumped back to the floor again, unconscious.  
  
"Oh great, he`s dead" said Leah walking over to him. She poked him with her wand.  
  
No one except Karyuu noticed, but the boy slowly flickered his eyes, and Karyuu immediately recognised them again. They were Fuji`s. Come to think of it, he looked remarkably like Fuji. This was getting wierd. It was like this was an alternate reality in this world.  
  
Slowly, Karyuu and Leah dragged the boy into Kiru.  
  
*********************************  
  
The next day......  
  
"Look! He`s waking up!"Leah said bouncing on her seat. Kiru did her freaky laugh again. The boy opened his glazed eyes and studiedthe room and it`s inhabitants. His eyes were chocolate brown and he had more tanned skin than when the gang first met him. He had red lips and was quite tall. He lay on the bed stirring.  
  
In the corner, Karyuu was trying to cut a hole in his clothes for his wings to stick through. He turned round as Leah made the statement.  
  
A broad smile spread over his face as he sat up.  
  
"Did you fellows help me escape the castle?" he asked in his clear posh voice.Although it was posh, it wasn`t snobbish.Wierd.  
  
"Um, no "Karyuu said, not mentioning the attack "We found you hurt in the plains." Leah shot him a warning look.  
  
"Oh. Terribly sorry" said the vampire boy, who looked just like a normal person right now "I better introduce myself."  
  
He stood up, off the bed "Prince Calvin till Alexandross 12th Kikumaru. It is a pleasure to meet you" He bowed low.  
  
"Thanks" Kiru boomed "Pleasure to meet you" Calvin jumped and giggled.  
  
"I like your house " he said happily.  
  
"I`m Karyuu Mizuumi, that is Leah and the house is Kiru. Nice to meet you" said Karyuu smiling, hiding his puzzlement over the similarities that were worrying him.  
  
"Um, are you Prince Calvin of Kingdom X?" Leah asked waling up to him. She was still in human form.  
  
"Yes, miss"replied Calvin. Kiru gasped, making one of the abstract pitures fal off the wall. Leah also squirmed.  
  
"What`s wrong? Where`s that?"asked Karyuu dreading the worst.  
  
"Oh, I know what you are thinking. Yes, I am a vampire. But I cannot control my actions unless I trust someone very much when I`m a vampire" said Calvin.  
  
"So, what are you doing out here?" asked Kiru. Everyone jumped.  
  
Calvin scratched his head. "I ran away" he said plainly. His brown eyes glistened.  
  
"How come? " Leah asked walking over to another squishy chair and sitting down.  
  
"I was unhappy . I hated being cooped up in that gloomy castle, and all the attention I got! I wasn`t left alone for less than a second" he ran his hand through his dark hair and looked out the window towards Kingdom X, which was looming in the distance of the red sky. "Well, I suppose I just wanted to see the outside world" He gave a faint smile and looked at the floor, ashamed.  
  
Leah and Karyuu looked at each other.  
  
"No doubt the castle will have put a bounty on my head and will probably send the knights out to get me" Calvin said sighing.  
  
Before Leah could speak, Karyuu shot the prince a question.  
  
"Hey I`ve got an idea! You can come with us on our journey! How about it? " Karyuu grinned.  
  
"Oh yes! Certainly, I`ll come! Where are we off to?" the prince asked smiling ear to ear.  
  
"We are off to the 7 places of Mystery in this world, so that Karyuu can get his wish and get home to his world."Leah said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Oh, yes. The Seven places of Mystery. I know about them" Calvin replied "My old school teacher, Proffesor Totten knew about them. He told me a legend about them. Ah, how does it go again? Oh yes, who ever gathers the 7 Mysterious Shards, can get one wish granted"  
  
"Yes, but where are they?" asked Karyuu. He was examining his sword again and polishing it.  
  
"Well I think we should travel to the town of Ameilian where Professor Totten currently recides" Calvin answered.  
  
"That`s not too far from here" Leah said "Kiru! New destination! Take us to Ameilian"  
  
Kiru gave a comforting sigh which made Calvin laugh again. Karyuu walked over to the boy.  
  
"Well, if we`re all gonna be friends, we can`t go about calling you Prince Calvin!" he said to the vampire as the house shook a little and set off at a surprisingly fast pace for something so big "I`ll call you............Cally!"  
  
Cally smiled "Yes! I like that name!" He outstretched his hand to meet Karyuu`s. They shook hands.  
  
"Good to have you on board Cally!" Karyuu said, beaming at his new friend.  
  
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Music for this Chapter : Jump-Start, Seven Nations  
  
Selkie: Give Calvin a great big cheer for a great chapter!!!!!  
  
*crowd cheer again*  
  
Calvin: Thank you! Hiya! Now time for my first chat with you guys! well, basic plot, exposition out of the way, Yay! :) Also the first major battle sequence! I rewrote it three times, with help from Selkie!  
  
Selkie: Heehee! :)  
  
Calvin: I got so frustrated with it! The original music for this chapter was a peice from the opera Merlin but again, it was changed last minute when I found the song to be too heavy-handed for what was meant to be a light-hearted bit. Instead I chose a more Celtic ivertone with a jig sort of sound, that reminds me of `Higatus Figatus` from Sword in the Stone.  
  
Selkie: I`m sorry if the scene with Karyuu and Cally on the floor was too graphical, we didn`t mean it to be, but what`s a fic without a little bit of slash! lol This was a longer chapter and I`m going to try and keep it that way! Bye!  
  
Calvin: Bye!  
  
~ ~ ~ OK, so next Chapter the gang arrive at Ameilian to find that Professor Totten is a bit different from what Cally remembers and will they be able to escape the swarms of troops searching for the young prince? Find out in Chapter 4 of Bizzare!!!!!  
  
Comments and Criticism welcome 


	4. Potions, Troops and Midnight Meetings

Selkie: Hi everybody! Welcome to Chapter 4 of Bizzare!!!! Ok, this chapter, the gang start their quest and they have to hide from the troops from Kingdom X. Ok, you guys this chapter is when they really set off and get to know each other. There will also be a lot of fight scenes. It is my turn so cally will write the next. K? Enjoy!  
  
+ + + + + + + + + + +  
  
Spoilers: Nothing much, just some sneaky hints to later chapters and the intoduction of the Main Baddie and a new character.  
  
Disclaimer: Bizzare Saga is copyright of Jordan and Calvin. All art, characters and scenario are joint projects by Jordan-Chan and Calvin-Sama ~ (Project Alternate Reality)  
  
Author`s Note: Ok its my (Selkie) turn for a chapter and this chapter will get the group together and they will also encounter the main baddies. Also if I put * s round some text it means that it is information i am giving you, so you can understand some bits easier. Ok, ill get on now.......  
  
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Chapter Four - Potions, Troops and Midnight Meetings  
  
`Never let your memories be greater than your dreams` ~ Doug Ivester  
  
The deep red sky stretched forever and ever and as Karyuu looked out of the window from his room, it seemed that everything he had been told about this world, had became as distantly believable as the space above him.  
  
He had been lying awake since he had come up to the top floor of Kiru, the talking house. Everyone else was fast asleep in their own rooms by now, and Karyuu couldn`t help thinking that he just wanted to run away from all this. He wished that he could just wake up right now and forget all about his friends, trapped in the bodies of turnips and houses and the fact that they didn`t recognise him from anywhere before.  
  
Karyuu sat up, walked over to the window and looked out. Kiru was still lumbering along, at a slow pace, obviously tired from the long walk they had done from the plains. As Karyuu looked around the land they were on, he could tell they weren`t near the plains anymore. To the front, there was a massive tower which looked as though it was guarding something or somewhere. It was a glum place, but it also had a sharp scariness about it. To the left was the outline of a mountain, the same one that was at the plains, clouds swirling round it`s tip. And finally, to the right was a long river, with a bridge over it. There were beautiful oak trees lined along the river, all shaded red, because of the sky and over the river, Karyuu could just make out a huddle of hatched roofs.  
  
As Karyuu stared into the distance, he heard a small sound, like a flute or some kind of instrument. He listened to the tune that was being played and realised that it was coming from the roof. He stretched his angel-like wings and streched his arms. He then rubbed his sleepy blue eyes and opened the window. Giving a little yawn he stood on the sill and jumped off, diving like he was going into a pool.  
  
As he was feet from the floor, he quickly pulled up and shot upwards into the red night sky. As he reached the height of the house he stopped and hovered in the air, looking at the figure of Calvin on the roof.  
  
Karyuu fluttered over to him and only then did he realise, as a chilly wind came over him, that he was topless. Karyuu always got hot whilst he was sleeping, no matter where. Quickly, he flew back inside and put a sheet from his bed round him, as it took too long to put on his costume. He flew back up, the sheet billowing out behind him like a ghost and he went forward and sat beside Cally on the roof.  
  
Calvin was playing a song on a little tin pipe. The tune was happy and sounded like a little jig. Karyuu imagined people in kilts, whizzing around a room, dancing. His blue eyes focused intently on Calvin`s fingers as they moved about the pipe, hitting different notes. As Calvin hit the last note, he put the pipe down and turned to Karyuu.  
  
"That was great!" Karyuu said. Calvin beamed.  
  
"It`s a tune I wrote myself. After all, what else is there to do" he replied "Here`s another one I play when I`m worried or nervous"  
  
Cally picked up the pipe and put it up to his lips. He blew on the pipe and a mellow sound came out. A tune followed. It was quite a sad song and Calvin had his chocolate brown eyes focused on his fingers too, concentrating. As he finished, he turned round again.  
  
"Why are you worried, Cally?" Karyuu asked, now worried hiself about what Calvin would say.  
  
"The knights" he replied "They will come and get me. I know it." He looked sad and stared at the tiles as though they weren`t in the right places.  
  
"Don`t worry, we`ll help you escape" said Karyuu in a comforting voice. He raised his head to the sky and stared up. There were stars. But they shone blue. Red sky.Blue stars. It was a nice picture. It didn`t feel like night time.  
  
"You know, I knew you two were coming" Cally said plainly "I got told it"  
  
Karyuu frowned "Me and who?"  
  
"The other one" Cally said and clearly seeing Karyuu`s confusion added "Oh. You don`t know"  
  
"Tell me please" Karyuu said, anxious about this whole conversation.  
  
"Well, my teacher, for History and Legends, said that one time, two angels would fall into our world. And judging by your wings, I`d guess your one of them, am I right?" Cally said.  
  
"Yeah, I`m one of them.But.....I came alone." said Karyuu, his head spinning with all the information.  
  
"The legend also said that they were siblings. Sibling Angels.And that the world would change once they came" Cally ended there.  
  
Karyuu stared into the horizon, where the sun was coming up, revealing a more human-worldish sky.His sibling? That could only mean one thing. But it couldn`t be true. His sister, Saiai could not be here. He was the one that entered the book. Not her. But, as Karyuu had already found, the legends in this world are quite true. She must be here. But where?  
  
Karyuu stood up. "I`m gonna go to bed. See you in the morning" he said walking over to the house roof`s edge.  
  
"Ok. Just remember that to be ready for the knights. The Button Man will come after me, my friend. I just hope I can survive. Good night" he said, picking up his pipe again.  
  
Button Man? What next. Karyuu flew upwards, then returned to his bedroom and lay on his bed, thinking about his meeting with Calvin.  
  
****************  
  
Karyuu woke up, feeling a chill on his chest. Kiru was still moving and Karyuu`s room was moving about a little. He got out of his bed and looked out of the window. Snow. Snow was falling from the sky, heavy, thick snow. Not just a little flurry. Karyuu returned his attention to his room and picked up his white and black outfit he was given by Leah. He quickly changed and exited the room, into a hallway full of abstract pitcures. As he walked down stairs, he couldn`t here any movement in the downstairs rooms, so he opened Kiru`s front door, spread his wings and flew out into the snowy air.  
  
He soared through the sky like a bird, now very used to flight. He looked around and spotted Leah and Calvin on Kiru`s roof. Leah was levatating a teapot and pouring some tea into Calvin`s mug. Karyuu fluttered down and sat beside Leah.  
  
"Morning" Leah said, beaming at him, acting like it usually snowed after a beutiful sunny day.  
  
"Hi" Karyuu replied "Erm, why is it snowing?"  
  
"Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell ya. It snows every morning. It should be stopping about now!" Leah replied, taking a sip of her own tea.  
  
As soon as Leah had finished saying the word `now` the snow flickered off and the more human-worldish blue sky returned and a golden globe appeared in the sky. Only there were two.Two suns.Wierd.  
  
"Well, I believe, my friends, that we have arrived at Ammelian" Calvin said, looking over Leah`s head. Karyuu turned to face the sparkling river he had seen last night and the bridge and the oak trees that seemed to line up for miles. Over the river, Karyuu could see the thatched roofs he saw before, but this time he actually saw the cute little houses that owned them. The small village that he saw last night, looked bigger than he thought it would. And at the end of the town, was a mountain. Not as big as the first mountain that they saw, but it was still big.  
  
Karyuu grabbed a peice of toast and gobbled it down, then poured a drink of tea and drank it too, then jumped down, off Kiru and hovered onto the ground. He then ran over to the bridge and gazed into the clear water.  
  
Leah and Calvin cleared up and then went down to join Karyuu.  
  
"Stay here, Kiru. Bye!" Leah said, waving to the house. It gave a wave and nodded it`s structure. It`s legs and hands dissapeared and it stood like an ondinary house.  
  
"It`s a very nice place, eh?" Cally said smiling. The three walked into Amelian with wonder, when suddenly a massive explosion rippled through the town. A house was blown right up into the air. Fire flew through the air and rubble shot out like bullets. Leah waved her wand and made a shield round each of them, to protect from debris.  
  
Karyuu gasped as another explosion blasted through the quiet town, making more fire and flying rubble.  
  
"What`s going on?" Leah said in alarm. The three of them ran into the town and as the smoke disappeared they saw a strange sight.  
  
Amid a huge pile of rubble and wood, with little patches on fire, was a boy, no older than 11 fighting off huge, muscalar knights. On the knights` chests was a crest with a bat and two crossed swords.  
  
"......the crest of Kingdom X. They`re here! They`re here for me!" cried Calvin, his face panic-stricken. The boy was using a sword, similar to Karyuu`s with great skill, and the knights could hardly get near him. The boy swished her sword in all directions in attempt to get the vampires away.  
  
"You little git!" one of the guards growled. He took off his armour and his eyes suddenly turned red, his face grew pale and two fangs replaced his top two teeth. He was ready to strike.  
  
The boy screamed as the feind raced towards him, it`s eyes focused on the gash on his side. It lunged at him, shouting and was stopped dead by cold steel. Karyuu withdrew his sword and swung it again, hitting the vampire in the stomach with the blade. The monster`s eyes grew normal, his skin grew more colourful and his fangs retracted. Karyuu lifted his now blood-soaked sword from inside the man as he collapsed onto the floor, dead.  
  
"Th....th..." the boy mumbled, out of breath.  
  
"Don`t mention it" Karyuu said smiling at the boy.  
  
"Quick, this....this way!" the boy breathed, pointing to one of the remaining houses and running towards it.  
  
"Come on" said Leah, running after the boy, Karyuu and Calvin close behind. The boy opened the door and let the others in. As soon as they were all in, the boy slammed the door shut and locked it. There was a thumping at the door, but no one broke through.  
  
"Hello, who are you? Why did you come here? Oh, you shouldn`t have come" the boy said "They`ll be after you too!" He turned to look at the three. The angel, the turnip and the vampire. Then his eyes widened as he saw Calvin.  
  
"What is it?" Cally asked politely, as he felt the gaze on him.  
  
"Oh, nothing" the boy said "So, why are you guys here?"  
  
Karyuu stepped forward. "Well, we`re looking for Professor Totten, because he knows some information that we need. You see, we are on a journey to collect the seven Shards of Mystery from the seven places in this world, so that I can get home to my world." Karyuu finished there, so the boy could collect the information. Karyuu started again "Do you know him?"  
  
The boy nodded his head. He had chocolate brown eyes, like Cally and very tanned skin. He wore a big green helmet on his head, like Sora from Digimon ** [Selkie: I don`t like Digimon, it`s just the best way to describe the helmet ;)] ** and he had a tuft of dark brown hair hanging under the helmet. He wore a green turtle-neck and brown dungerees. He riminded Karyuu of his friend Ross back home......  
  
"Yeah, I know him" the boy said "I know him very well. Quickly, this way, I`ll take you to him" He knelt on the floor and lifted up a small rug on the floor. The house was small, and plain. Not much decoration, just a round table with four chairs round it. After the boy lifted the rug, it revealed a secret trap-door, and the boy opened it and jumped in. Karyuu looked at his friends and lowered himself into it, the other two following after him.  
  
There were no stairs, just a sheer drop. Down and down they fell, having no sign that each other were even there, due to the darkness. Finally they landed hard on something soft.A mat. There were now torches lining the walls, and Karyuu could see the boy running up a passage way, beckoning them to follow. Karyuu ran after him, hearing two thumps, indicating the arrival of Leah and Cally.  
  
The hall was cold and damp and at the end was a stone pedestal with a large chest on top of it. The boy stopped at it and took out a large brss key. It unlocked with a click. The boy turned to the others.  
  
"Ok, I lied. I`m Professor Totten." he said solomnly, staring at them with his big eyes.  
  
Calvin looked at him and started howling with laughter. Leah gave a small giggle too. Karyuu also chuckled.  
  
"You can`t be! He`s an old man!!!" Calvin giggle, trying not to be rude. The boy frowned.  
  
"I drank a de- ageing potion!" he insisted as Calvin continued to laugh "I`ll prove it!"  
  
He reached into the chest and brought out a large glass vial, teeming with a red liquid. He reached in again and brought out a similar vial, this time with blue liquid.  
  
"This one" he said pointing to the red potion "Will age me. Watch"  
  
He pulled out the cork of the red liquid and he drank a spot, then returning it to the chest. Immediatly, a puff of smoke appeared and the boy transformed, into an extremely old man. He had a long nose, a white beard and he was stopped low.  
  
Calvin stopped laughing. "P - professor?" he asked, gawping at the man.  
  
The man smiled "Yes. It`s me. I had to drink the potion to keep me young. So I could live forever, helping people on quests. Of course I`ll help" he said in a croaky voice. He then picked up the blue vial "This will return me to my younger self. Rosu Lei"  
  
Karyuu froze. Rosu Lei. Ross Lee. This was an alternate reality, no doubt about it. Shougen, Fuji and now Ross were all here. He was happy to know the people around him, even though they hardly knew him. In this world. Professor Totten then drank the blue liquid and returned to the young boy. He beamed.  
  
"Calvin. I have missed you" he said hugging Cally.  
  
Calvin smiled too. It was his old teacher. And now there new team member.  
  
"So, will you be able to come with us on the journey?" Leah asked.  
  
"Oh, yes definately!" Rosu said **[ Selkie: I will call Professor Totten Rosu because he is going to be in his younger from most of the story. K? :) ]**  
  
"But, first I have something for you people" he said walking over to thechest, returning the vials. He wouldn`t be needing them. Until he came back from the trip. He then came back over to his new companions, a small crystal in his hand.  
  
"This, is one of the seven shards!" he exclaimed giving it to Karyuu.  
  
The winged boy was speechless. He stared at the small item in his hand, knowing that he was ever closer to his goal.  
  
"Wow! That is sooo cool!" Leah shouted looking at the crystal.  
  
"Thank you! Thank you very much....erm.......Rosu!" Karyuu said, glad to have a new team member.  
  
"Well, we better get going, friends" Calvin said.  
  
"Here" said Rosu, reaching into the chest once more. Karyuu looked up. He could here more bangs and crashed, from the cannons or whatever they were.  
  
Rosu emerged, finally shutting the chest and holding two swords.  
  
"I see you don`t have a weapon, Calvin. Take this" he said handing him a weapon.  
  
"I`m a magic turnip. I`ll get us out in no time" Leah said, waving her wand.  
  
"Let`s get ready to fight....." Karyuu said, ruffling his wings. They disappeared.  
  
*****************  
  
They appeared outside the house and surrounded by vampire knights.  
  
"Let`s go" said Leah bringing out a Bob-bomb(from Super Mario) from behind her back and brandishing her wand too.  
  
The other three brought out there swords, and with a loud roar, the knights lunged at them. Karyuu flew up into the air and then plummeted down at a kinight, swinging his sword right as his chest. The knight done a flip and landed in a heap.  
  
Leah threw the bomb into the air and conjured up a net too. She wrapped the net round a huddle of knights and as they stood, helpless, the Bob-bomb dropped on them. The explosion made a dozen guards fly all over the place and Calvin and Rosu had to hide behind a house. Karyuu flew out of harms way.  
  
Rosu and Cally emerged from hiding, shouting as they plunged their swords in to countless knights. Calvin was fighting the urge to turn into a vampire state very hard, but eventually the sight of blood took over.  
  
His eyes turned red, his skin pale and his teeth grew into fangs. He knelt down, animal style and then jumped high, onto the building.  
  
"Uh-oh" mumbled Rosu. Cally then lunged at guards, biting their necks and throwing them about. Karyuu, Leah and Rosu all froze, staring at their friend, killing all the ad vampires in a frenzy. Leah got the sugar bag ready.  
  
Calvin continued to kill more and more knights til there was none left. Then, with an animalistic roar, he collapsed, human again.  
  
Karyuu and the rest ran over.  
  
"Oh, god" Leah cried "Are you OK??"  
  
Calvin sat up "Sorry about that. I cannot help it. It just emerges. I could have hurt you I`m....." He was stopped there by an evil sounding laugh. The team turned round to see a man on a roof.  
  
He was tall and thin, wearing all black leather. He had long black hair and cold, grey eyes. Well, eye. Over his right eye, was a metal patch, fastened by a thin leather strap.  
  
"The Button Man!" said Rosu and Cally in unison as the man jumped down from the roof and started walking towards them. He was carrying a large, black walking cane.  
  
"Well, well, well" the Button Man said "If it isn`t the little run away and his friends. Oh. It`s you." He looked at Rosu with a sneer.  
  
"How - how do you know it is him?" mumbled Karyuu.  
  
"His eye! It`s magic. It`s like an evil eye! It can see right through people!" Calvin screamed "Get away from us!" He grabbed his sword and swiped at the Button Man. He blocked the blow.  
  
"Tut, tut, tut" said the Button Man. He grinned, an evil grin. He pushed Calvin out the way. The others were rooted to the spot "If I were you, I`d look at your house."  
  
The gang slowly turned round to face the village enterance. For such a peaceful town, it was now wrecked. There was fire all over the place and there were only a few houses standing. The oak trees were burnt and all the leaves were off. And over the river, was Kiru.  
  
She was stamping about madly as a dozen men were pulling her down with ropes. The men looked like Frankenstein`s monsters. They were all stitched and had mismatched arms and legs. They also had bottons for eyes, and all over them was rips and tears. They were horrible.  
  
"My Button Men" the Button Man said "Wonderful creations. Now, come with me, now Prince. I am getting paid very much for this" He reached for Calvin and then gasped.  
  
Karyuu rose into the air and swung his sword at the evil man, shouting at the top of his lungs. The man blocked his attck and in no time, another attack swung his way. Karyuu was fuming. How dare he hurt his friends? He kept swinging and swinging until the Button Man could take no more. The man lashed out with his cane and hit Karyuu to the floor. There was a large cut on his face and his arms and legs were aching.  
  
"How dare you attack me?" the Button Man said, a spiteful look on his face "Buttons. Now! Do it!"  
  
Then, a boom echoed through the town. And without warning, a massive missle crashed through Rosu`s house and headed straight for Kiru.  
  
"Nooooooooooo!" the four comopanions shouted as the missle slammed into the house. Kiru gave a massive roar, which shook the ground and disappeared in an explosion of bricks and fire.  
  
"Kiru!" Leah screamed, standing up and sprinting towards her friend. But it was too late. Kiru was now a pile of bricks.  
  
Leah reached the pile of bricks and dead Button Men and picked up the brick, holding Kiru`s mouth.  
  
"Kiru" Leah said to the brick, sobbing "I`m so sorry"  
  
"Leah...." it boomed then the brick disappeared. All of the bricks disappeared until there was only a pile of Button Men. Leah cried.  
  
"Run!" shouted Karyuu. Calvin and Rosu ran towards Leah.  
  
"What about you?" Rosu yelled back. Karyuu kicked the Button Man in the shin.  
  
"I`m coming!" he shouted and flew away. The Button Man was fuming.  
  
"You little shit!" he screamed as Karyuu stuck out his tongue.  
  
Leah looked up, her blue eyes filled with tears and the flower bud on her hair, flopping down sadly. Karyuu zoomed past her and grabbed her hands. He held her tightly and they flew out of the town.  
  
"Watch this!" Rosu said bringing out a little pad with two buttons on it. He pressed the one on the left "I`m not an inventor for nothing!"  
  
Calvin watched as the sound of an engine revving up filled the air and with a crash a futuristic motorbike flew out of the debris of Rosu`s house.  
  
"Get on! Hurry!" yelled Rosu, climbing aboard himself, closely followed by Cally.  
  
"Yeeha!" Rosu shouted laughing, as he rode over the bridge on the bike.  
  
Calvin`s face turned quite green. He felt sick. It was a wierd sight. An 11 year old riding a motorbke. But after all. It was another world.  
  
The four met up, after about 10 minutes from escaping Amelian. Karyuu`s arms were a bit sore from holding Leah, so he landed and Rosu and Calvin got off the bike.  
  
"Well, we escaped" Karyuu said "Poor Kiru"  
  
Leah was very quiet. She was shook by Kiru`s death.  
  
"Ok, next we should head off to Ezembark, to get the Shard of Earth. It`s just over........" Rosu was cut off by a massive sound coming from the forest, that they stopped near. It sounded like someone speaking through a faulty microphone.  
  
Calvin gasped as a tree came walking out of the forest.  
  
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Selkie: Woohoo! Poor Kiru. Soz if anyone liked her, but if ur lucky.............  
  
Selkie: Another cliffhanger. I have an idea to make the tree and Ent from Lord of the Rings. It is a crossover fic isnt it? Hee hee ^_^  
  
Selkie: Well, the baddies are set, the team is set (nearly) but that doesnt mean there wont be anymore new characters. There will be at least 5 new characters. Including Nitney! ::waves and smiles to Nitney::  
  
Selkie: Well, next time, they get a new form of trasport, two new members, and the Button Man is still after them. Also more fight scences and some flash backs from Calvins memory. Read on!!!  
  
comments and criticism welcome! ^_^ 


	5. Dreams, Storms and My Friend Shota

Spoilers: nothing much......  
  
Disclaimer: Bizzare Saga is copyright of Jordan and Calvin. All art, characters and scenario are joint projects by Jordan-chan and Calvin-sama ~ (Project Alternate Reality)  
  
Author`s Note: Hello there, it`s Calvin here again :D  
I would definately like to thank my beta, Isla, for countlessly reading this thing over and over, and her helpful seuggestions x . x ...... so if there is a mistake, it`s her fault [ big grin ] otherwise, uh, yah, enjoy!  
  
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` Thy friendship has made my heart to ache ; do be my enemy - for friendship`s sake!` ~ William Blake  
  
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  
  
Chapter 5 - Dreams, Storms and My Friend Shota  
  
Karyuu sat awake, the cold breeze whistling through the trees, reducing the camp fire to a cinder. He looked up to the red sky and thought about the Lord of the Rings-like tree that walked past a few hours ago. He completely ignored them.  
  
He looked at Leah and then to Rosu and finally fixing his gaze on Calvin. Like the others, he was asleep his brown hair drooping over his slightly tanned face. Karyuu noticed that Calvin`s top lip was quivering and then almost instantaniously, his whole body did the same, shaking as if he was having a seizure.  
  
"Cally! You Ok?" Karyuu said as he shot up and walked towards the older boy.  
  
Now Calvin was shaking violently. Karyuu placed his hand on the vampire`s body.  
  
There was a huge burst of white.  
  
Silence.  
  
Karyuu opened his eyes. He could hardly believe what was happening.  
  
He was standing in the archway of a large building covered with ancient carvings.  
  
Karyuu walked froward and noticed a boy, a little older than himself standing watching something. Karyuu lifted an arm to his forehead to block out the glistening sun and squinted his eyes.  
  
"Cally?" he said walking forwards towards the figure standing there ominously.  
  
He was right. It was Calvin. He ran closer to his friend.  
  
"Calvin?" he repeated.  
  
No answer.  
  
"Um, are you Ok? ........ where are we?" Karyuu questioned.  
  
Silence.  
  
"What`s wrong?" Karyuu enquired.  
  
Still no answer.  
  
Karyuu figured that Calvin could not hear him, so he turned to watch whatever his friend was staring at.  
  
Two young boys around the age of 7 or 10, stand amongst the long blades of grass in the vast field below.  
  
"Shota?" the cute younger one asked. He wad brown hair, like Calvin.  
  
"Yes, Calvin" the slightly older white haired boy replyed, placing a hand on Calvin`s shoulder.  
  
"One day, I`m gonna fly away from here" Calvin grinned.  
  
"You can`t do that" replied the taller boy.  
  
"How?" the happy smile faded and was replaced by a look of upmost digust.  
  
"You`re the Prince, and the Prince`s place is in the castle, not amongst the peasants elsewhere!" Shota quickly answered.  
  
Karyuu realiesed he was in Calvin`s dream. It seemed so real and life-like. The older Calvin, standing beside him, watching his younger-self had a tear in his eye.  
  
A fluster of red petals burst out of nowhere. Karyuu felt like he was falling into an endless abyss of nothing.  
  
+  
  
"Uh, morning already?" Karyuu said as he stood up and looked around the small camp in the middle of the forest. He ran his fingers through his short blond hair.  
  
"Hey! Karyuu! Over here!" it was Calvin. He was jumping up and down waving his over. He looked so happy and carefree. Not at all like his dream form Karyuu had seen last night.  
  
Karyuu walked over slowly to his friends. The morning snow was falling lightly.  
  
"Howdy!" Leah said grinning. She was in her human-form and was wearing a short mini-skirt.  
  
"Mornin`" Rosu siad patting the space next to him on the log he was sitting on, as a gesture to sit down next to him. Karyuu did so.  
  
"Good morning Karyuu!" Calvin beamed "Did you sleep well?" Karyuu already knew the answer to that.  
  
"Leah`s making something called Pan...cakes I think for breakfast" Cally continued. He gave a hearty smile and sat down next to Karyuu.  
  
"Yeah" Rosu said. He had a frying pan and some ingredients "Thought we would make something nice!" Leah was shoving pancakes into four plates and handing them out. She had obviously got Kiru`s death out of her mind.  
  
The four ate in silence which suited Karyuu fine. He did not feel like talking at all.  
  
"Mmmmmm. These are divine!" Calvin exclaimed "What did you say they were called again?"  
  
"Pancakes!" Rosu and Leah shouted in unison. Karyuu giggled.  
  
"Yes, yes. I`ll have to remember that" Cally grinned.  
  
"So..." Rosu said standing up. His cute brown eyes were happy and excited "Let`s talk through today`s plans"  
  
"Sure" Karyuu said. He was now polishing his sword.  
  
"Well, it`s quite a journey to Ezembark, you see so I thought we should set off from this forest as soon as possible, if we want to retrieve the Earth Wonder!" Rosu explained knowledgably.  
  
"Sounds good to me!" Karyuu said yawning, he looked at Cally. Would he ever tell him about last night? He had so much in his mind. His sister Saiai could possibly be here, all his friends seemed to be here but they didn`t seem to know anything about their normal selves and now this. He really wondered what was keeping him sane, he really did.  
  
"Ok, now that`s settled. We leave at noon" Rosu said, turning away to sit and scribble in a small metal bound notebook.  
  
+  
  
~ 3 Hours Later ~  
  
The morning snow had been replaced by rain. It lashed down on the faces of the gang and they were all soaked to the bone. The sky was grey.  
  
"How far is it to Ezembark from here, Rosu?" Leah asked shivering.  
  
"It`s not too far. If we keep on walking we should be there by tomorrow!" he replyed, trying not to let the rain dampen his spirits.  
  
"But the storm`s getting worse. Could we not stop somewhere?" Cally asked poking his cheek.  
  
"I could fly up to see if there is anywhere we could stop at" Karyuu suggested.  
  
"Ok. On you go. Don`t stay up to long though. The winds are strong!" said Rosu.  
  
Karyuu spread his wings and lunged into the air. Rosu was right, the winds were dangerously strong.  
  
"I won`t stay up too long" he thought.  
  
He looked around. The sky was now black and the heavy grey clouds smothered the surroundings, making it hard to see. Karyuu jumped as a clash of thunder sounded through the air. Karyuu only caught a glimpse of another vast forest and another tall mountain ahead before a gust of wind burst straight at him, making him loose his balance. He heard the faint call of Leah shouting his name before he was swept away.  
  
+  
  
"You boy.Wake up!" a voice said.  
  
Karyuu opened his eyes and looked at his surroundings. A tall boy around 17 years old stood over him. The sky had calmed and the rain had stopped. The twin suns were even trying to break through.  
  
"I am General Shota of the Imperial Knights of the Kingdom of X" the boy said. He was tall and pale. He had short white hair and wore a black body suit with armour cased on his right shoulder and arm.  
  
"Yeah, so what?" Karyuu said pushing himself up.  
  
"I`ll tell you what" General Shota replyed glaring at Karyuu with his stone cold grey eyes "You little birdie have been spotted with Prince Calvin till Alexandross the 12th Kikumaru. I would wish for you to tell us his whereabouts"  
  
Karyuu stared at him. This was the boy from Calvin`s dream. He remembered him saying to Calvin that he was never supposed to leave the castle. He did not want Cally to go back to a life of solitude like that.  
  
"Never!" he said. The word seemed to be as if someone else said them. Someone full of courage.  
  
"Well, if that`s the way you want to put it, you`re better off dead!" Shota said. Shota`s eyes narrowed until they resembled that of a snake`s "Guards, kill him!"  
  
An army of armed vampire soldiers rushed towards Karyuu. He drew his sword and hoped for the best.  
  
KABOOM!  
  
An explosion sounded and Karyuu turned to see a pile of dead guards lying in a heap on the field floor.  
  
"Rosu! Leah! Cally! It`s you!" he shouted running over towards the explosion where he could see the outline of his friends standing there.  
  
"Karyuu! What happened?" Leah said hugging him tightly "I was so worried!"  
  
Karyuu explained everything to them.  
  
"Calvin" a voice said.  
  
"Huh?" Calvin said turning round "Shota?"  
  
"Long time no see" the pale boy said.  
  
"I don`t think this is the right time for words like that" Calvin shouted.  
  
"I guess so" Shota smirked "Your father wishes you to come home"  
  
"Well I don`t want to Shota. I don`t want to!" Cally shouted.  
  
"What happened to us?" Calvin said, a small tear trickled down his cheek "We used to be such good friends"  
  
"And we`re not now?" Shota asked looking puzzled.  
  
"No, now we are enemies..." Calvin said looking more shocked that what Shota did.  
  
Shota stared at him and turned to Karyuu. "Could I talk with you for a second?" he said.  
  
"Sure" replied Karyuu.  
  
"Some people are like a light to fireflies. They just draw folk into them, and these people change the world" Shota said.  
  
"Are you saying I`m one of them people?" Karyuu asked, under the glance of his friends.  
  
"Hell, no!" Shota said looking surprised at the question "You`re more repulsive than a toad!" Shota had always had a repulsive nature himself, thus making him say this.  
  
Karyuu pouted. What did Shota mean by that?  
  
Shota turned back round again to face Calvin.  
  
"Well........ I guess you can continue with your little escapade just now then. But next time we meet don`t expect the same welcome" Shota said.  
  
Calvin nodded and turned away.  
  
"Oh, one more thing" Shota said running over to his ex-friend.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Take this" the knight said. He handed Calvin a crystal cross on a chain. He placed it in his palm "For old time`s sake" Calvin looked extremely surprised.  
  
"Your cross.......but you....." Calvin said examining the cross with pride "So you`re not angry with me then. Are you?"  
  
"I could never be angry with you" Shota said and turned away "Farewell"  
  
The gang watched as his figure faded into the distance of the blue sky.  
  
+  
  
~ 1 hour later ~  
  
The gang walked along the dry, grassy plain in silence. The sky was still bright blue and the two suns shone brightly. Calvin was still looking at the cross that Shota had given him. Karyuu glanced up and realised how far they had traveled. They were now walking up to the other huge forest that Karyuu had seen during the storm.  
  
Rosu gasped suddenly as a huge walking tree lumbered by them. They recognised it as the tree they had seen that morning as they came out of Amelian.  
  
"Hello" it boomed in a voice similar to Kiru`s. This time it had decided to talk to them.  
  
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Music for this chapter ~ Pure Soul / Glay  
  
I`m (and Selkie) really unhappy with the way this chapter turned out :( Because it`s slow and it has no fight scenes, but this was a vital chapter in the story!  
  
Well anyway, next chapter Karyuu and his fellow band of merry adventurers take up a request by a tribe of Ents (the trees from LOTR) who need help because the Ent village is under attack. Along with the help of another new character (or two). But from whom?  
  
Find out next time in Bizzare SaGa!!  
  
comments and critisism welcome 


	6. Fire, Trees and Howls

Spoilers: not much.........  
  
Disclaimer: Bizzare Saga is copyright of Jordan and Calvin. All art, characters and scenario are joint projects by Jordan-chan and Calvin-sama ~ (Project Alternate Reality)  
  
Author`s Note: Hi guys, it`s my turn, Selkie.I`m sorry if the last chapter was boring but it was vital. I would like to thank my friend Stephen-chan for reading all my chapters and Nitney of course too! Thnx guys! :: winks :: As a reward they will be featuring in upcoming chapters! In fact, Stephen will be in this story......heehee! I also want to thank Cally for his help in the story! Cheers! There will be more action in this one, so anyway.....enjoy!  
  
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` The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams ` ~ Elanor Roosevelt  
  
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Chapter 6 – Fire, Trees and Howls  
  
"Are you lost?" the tree boomed to the four. They stood shaking in there boots. Rosu spoke up.  
  
"Erm...w - well no. Not really" he stammered his cute brown eyes staring into the tree`s seemingly carved eyes. It`s face was scarred but still looked like a face. It was scratched and cut all over the place but Karyuu and his friends could still make out his features.  
  
He had those carved eyes. Friendly, carved eyes and a mouth which looked like it had a wooden tongue in it too. It had a lump where it`s nose should be and had a spiral shaped cut where it`s right cheek should be.  
  
"We`re trying to get to the city of Ezembark" Leah spoke up. It had been her first proper convorsation since the insident in Amelian.  
  
"Oh, yes" the tree said "I can help you there!" It had long legs and a small part for a torso and long spindly arms. They looked thin, but due to his towering height, they were actually quite thick. On his 'head' branches upon branches stuck out with a few leaves here and there.  
  
"You could? Oh thnk you ever so much erm........tree......." Calvin said wondering what the being actually was. The gang jumped when the tree shouted.  
  
"I am no tree!" it boomed, obviously offended. It`s face swisted from a frown into a look of proudness "I am an Ent!"  
  
Karyuu gasped. That line. He remembered it. Yes! It was from Lord of the Rings, a book and movie back in his world. Ents were tree creatures that lived for thousands of years. They lived in colonies and were very close. At least thats what Karyuu could remember from the film.  
  
"My name is Ttosc. I am from the colony of Ents in the Ezembark Forest" it said. It`s face turned sad "Well, I was...."  
  
Leah walked up to it, gingerly though determined and patted it`s leg.  
  
"What happened?" she asked beckoning for her companions to come over. The walked over too.  
  
"Well. I was banished. You see, I don`t like following the Ent Rules. They`re stupid" the Ent said in a much less booming voice. It even sounded like a childish whine. "So eventually, I was banished. Today infact" It made a huge sound, like a sigh.  
  
"I`m sure we can work something out. We`ll help you" Calvin said looking into the carved eyes "Allow us to introduce ourselves"  
  
Ttosc nodded it`s torso/head and Calvin cleared his throat.  
  
"I am Calvin till Alexan........" he was cut off.  
  
"He`s Cally" Leah said glaring at Calvin. Karyuu giggled. "I`m Leah, that over there is Rosu and that`s Karyuu. He`s from another world!" Then the tree froze.  
  
"Another world?" it said as through it`s hearing aid had failed or something.  
  
"Yeah" Rosu piped up. The tree backed off.  
  
"No, no, no......... not another world" it said in it`s small voice "Get away from me! You other world scum!" It backed off further, nearly in the forest.  
  
Karyuu pouted and frowned. "What`s so wrong with that?" he roared, bearing his teeth. He rarely showed his aggressive side.  
  
"Filthy little..." the tree began.  
  
KABOOM!  
  
An explosion shook the forest, birds flying away into the distance. These explosions were getting more and more frequent to Karyuu. This time, however the explosion sounded much worse and little did he know, would change his group formation.  
  
"What the?" Rosu yelled over the noise of more Ents calling and trees crashing to the floor. Suddenly without warning, an animalistic howl shook the ground and a beautiful light grey wolf jumped out of the wilderness. It landed on top of Karyuu with a thump and looked around dazed.  
  
Without another word, Ttosc disappeared into the thick trees.  
  
"Oh, don`t mind him. He`s a psycho" a voice said. This voice was different to any of the group`s and to Karyuu, it was also familiar. Different but familiar, wierd.  
  
The group turned to the source of the voice, only to be staring at the wolf. Karyuu looked into it`s eyes and it stared back with dark, dark eyes. Not evil dark, colour dark. Also the eyes were familiar too. But how could they be? He had never saw a real wolf before.  
  
To the gangs shock, the wolf`s face started changing. It`s legs started changing, and it`s body started changing. Before anything could happen, the wolf had transformed into a human boy. He was a werewolf.  
  
The boy was around Karyuu`s age and Karyuu`s height. Except his features were totally different from Karyuu`s. He had short, dark hair, almost black and tanned skin. He had a slim build and his eyes were the darkest eyes Karyuu had ever seen. Actually, that was a lie. He had seen this boy before. And those eyes. He was looking at this world`s version of his friend, Shouri.  
  
The boy was wearing a tight green t-shirt and black trousers, with boots similar to Karyuu`s. He had a dark chest-plate too. All in all, he looked quite cool.  
  
All of the gang, Calvin, Leah, Rosu and Karyuu stared at the boy in disbelief.  
  
"Hi" he said in a quiet, yet cheerful voice. His dark eyes were glinting in the bright suns` light.  
  
"Hi" Calvin said. Once again he introduced the lot of them, calling himself 'Cally' for once.  
  
"Cool. My name`s Sidifen. As you guessed, I`m a werewolf" the wolf-boy said. He smiled ear to ear "So, what you guys doin` here?"  
  
"Well, I`m from another world and we need to get the Wondes so that I can go home" Karyuu explained. The sun was still beating down on them.  
  
"Oh yeah, I`ve heard of the legend. 'The sibling angels will come forth......and change the world for good'. Is that how it goes?" Sidifen said.  
  
The gang went to nod but before they could another deafning KABOOM echoed through the forest. The five young adventurers were all blown onto the floor.  
  
"What the hell?" Leah shouted. Crashed sounded inside the wilderness, indicated more trees falling. This time, sparks flew above the outline of the forest and a raging fire began.  
  
"We need to get in there! The Ents are in trouble!" Sidifen shouted already running into the forest "Plese help me! Will you?"  
  
"Yes. We`ll help you!" Calvin said as though the sentence would change everyone`s lives for the better. He started running after the wolf-boy, closely followed by his companions.  
  
As Karyuu looked up, the bright sun disappeared behind the thick layer of branches and leaves, the only light now, the fires.  
  
+  
  
Finally, after what seemed like hours of frantic running, the group reached the Ent Village. It was huge.  
  
It was simply a gigantic clearing, with lush trees (non-walking ones) surrounding the outside of it. But the trees were slowly being burned by a massive fire, which sweeped over the plain like someone was drawing on them with a florescent pen. Also, amid the madness, huge, towering Ents fled this may and that, some on fire and some snapped at parts.  
  
"Ttosc!" Sidifen yelled as the Ent they saw earlier ran by. It saw the wolf and came over ignoring Karyuu..  
  
"This is a diaster!" it boomed "Nnogna and Xcerta have been killed! We have to stop it!"  
  
"Well, I`ll help you and these guys wanna help too" Sidifen said, his dark eyes shining with fear.  
  
"No, I`m not working with another-worlder!" Ttosc said. His carved face was twisted into a frown again.  
  
"No, please. It`s to save your village!" Sidifen pleaded. Finally, after a minute of thinking, the Ent slowly nodded and agreed.  
  
"Ok, let`s go!" Rosu said, army-major-like "Calvin, Ttosc and I will go to the east. Leah, Karyuu and you erm....."  
  
"Sidifen. Call me Fen" the new boy said.  
  
"Right, Fen. You, Leah and Karyuu head over that little house" Rosu said nodding towards and small house, which was burning "Let`s go!"  
  
Rosu, Calvin and the Ent ran to the east, just as the old/young boy/man said. To Ttosc`s delight, Karyuu ran the other way, towards the house with Fen and Leah.  
  
Karyuu drew his sword and Leah conjured up a small pink sword with a turnip emblem on the handle and made her wand disappear. Fen took out a big dagger type thing called a sai. Karyuu had seen them in his Tae Kwon Do club, back home.  
  
Suddenly a screaming sound filled the air and a group of bodies jumped out of a burning bush. They were Button Men. They hobbled over like sandbags with their two buttons pinned awkwardly to their so called 'faces'. Their tufts of stuffing hung out of the numerous rips over their bodies and they badly stitched smile spread across their face, scarily. Always smiling.  
  
The front Button reached onto his left arm stump and ripped it off, spilling stuffing onto the slightly charred grass floor. The other dozen did the same and immediately a ripping sound sounded as long knife blades cut through the ripped limbs.  
  
Fen glared at them and shouted, leaping forward with his sai swinging. Karyuu also flew up into the trees and plunged down, ripping a hole in a Button`s stomach. It gave a screech and fell into the others, making a domino-effect.  
  
Menawhile, Leah swung her turnip sword at various places and seeing that it didn`t do alot of damage, brought out her wand again and shot a ball of energy at the crowd of ugly sandbags. They all collapsed in a heap of material and fluff.  
  
Karyuu was swinging his sword around and sriking the Button Men with some force but sooner or later he began to realise something. They weren`t dying. The kept coming back up and regenerating their ripped limbs.  
  
"They aren`t dying!" he shouted to Fen and Leah. They looked up and Leah swirled her wand.  
  
She was swirling her wand like she was doing a martial art and by mistake hit one of the Button Men`s face, ripping of the button-eyes. It stumbled back, screamed, and fell to the floor in a heap of dust.  
  
"Go for their eyes!" Leah yelled as another swarm of Button Men came screeching in.  
  
Karyuu raised his sword and smashed it into the ugly creature`s faces, ripping not just the eyes, but the whole head. Fen then gasped.  
  
"Watch out! I`m turning into a......... a............" he said, struggling to get the words out. He then arched his back and jerked up to look at the leafy sky. He let out a wolf-like howl that rang through the forest like a siren. Even the Button Men seemed to forget what they were doing.  
  
Fen then turned back to a normal human posture and winked at his companions.  
  
Although he had a human posture, he had a tail now, and sharp teeth. He looked half transformed. Surely enough, Fen started shrinking until he was on his wands and knees. A blinding flash erupted breifly and when Leah and Karyuu looked at their friend, he was a beautiful grey wolf, just like when they first met.  
  
His dark, dark eyes narrowed and he dived at the group of Button Men, biting as much as he could. In a few minutes, half the swarm were taken down. They kept swinging their blade arms but none of their blows was recieved by Fen.  
  
"Let`s help!" Karyuu said to Leah, who nodded and rushed towards Fen to help. Karyuu was wondering what time it was, as he couldn`t see the sky. He was beginning to get hungry, because he hadn`t ate since the pancakes. Pancakes....  
  
SMASH!  
  
+  
  
Meanwhile, in the east, the others were also getting attacked by half burnt Button Men, but they were faring better as they had an 11 foot Ent helping them.  
  
Calvin managed to control his vampire side and Rosu also helped by swinging his sword at various Button Men. Ttosc just ran around stamping on huddles of sandbags and shouting things like "Die, evil scum!" or "Get out of my village you ugly teddy bears!"  
  
Calvin was now struggling to contain his feindish side because Rosu had been cut a tiny bit on his arm and frsh blood was trickling out of it.  
  
The young prince bit his lip, standing away from Ttosc and Rosu.  
  
"No! Your not getting out!" he said to himself "You killed the guard back at the castle!"  
  
Rosu turned from the battle to see his friend.  
  
"Cally?" Rosu siad in a worried voice "What`s wrong?"  
  
"No! Keep away! My vampire side is trying to come out!" Calvin warned, making Rosu stop approaching him "I can`t....... can`t........"  
  
Suddenly the Button Men froze and slumped to the floor.  
  
"Where are the rats?" Ttosc said, obviously enjoying the slaughtering.  
  
"Ah, the young Prince is here after all!" a voice sounded, a cold voice, coming from behing a tree.  
  
"Who`s there?" Rosu yelled.  
  
"Me, of course" the voice said and almost immediatly after, a tall black figure jumped out of a tree and landed in the middle of the Ent, the boy and the vampire. It was the Button Man himself.  
  
"Miss me?" he sneered, swirling his cane around.  
  
"Get away from me!" Calvin shouted his eyes flickering from chocolate brown to crimson and back. He screamed and gave way, his vampire finally free.  
  
"You will not take me!" he said with a hiss to the Button Man, who just laughed. He ran full tilt and jumped onto the Button Man, aiming for his neck.  
  
The Button Man swore and beat Calvin with his cane, but Calvin still hung on. He snarled and bit deep into the Button Man.  
  
"Aaaaaaaaargh!" the man in black shouted finally throwing the boy off him. Calvin then turned normal, exhausted. There was a bit of blood on his lip, which he licked off.  
  
"You little............ I will get you!" the Button Man said trying to escape.  
  
"No you don`t!" Ttosc said, lifting him up "Bye bye!"  
  
He did a pose like a baseball played and flung the evil man as hard as he could. He went flying through the trees and into the distance, screaming all the way.  
  
"Thank you!" Rosu said. Ttosc blushed, if a tree can blush.  
  
"Look!" Calvin said, breathing deeply. The three looked up and the fire was being doused by water. Leah appeared in the air, with a bubble round her. She had a hose in her hand.  
  
"Howday!" she said smiling.  
  
"Where is Karyuu and Fen?" Rosu said looking around.  
  
"We`re here" Fen`s voice said and he emerged from the wood, Karyuu slumped over his shoulder.  
  
"What happened to him?" the Ent asked. They all noticed that the Ents had stopped running about and screaming.  
  
"He got hit by one of the Buttons, trying to save your village!" Leah said, landing beside Fen "I think you should respect him a bit better!"  
  
Ttosc looked guilty as Karyuu`s head peered over Fen`s shoulder.  
  
"I`m sorry" he said "It`s just that I was brought up to hate other worlders, you see. And thank you, all of you for saving my village"  
  
They all smiled, Karyuu`s one a half smile. He was really pleased, but his face still hurt.  
  
+  
  
"We thank you, all of you for saving our village!" a voice boomed in the Ent`s clearing. The gang, now including Fen were surrounded by hundreds of trees and moving trees too. In front of them was the biggest Ent of them all, the leader of the tribe who was now thanking them graciously for putting out the fire and getting rid of the button men.  
  
Karyuu was touching his face where there was now a small scar where the Buttons hit him. Leah was smiling ear to ear and Calvin was standing very attentive. Rosu was looking around at the massive beings around him and Fen turned round to look at Karyuu. He winked at him and Karyuu grinned back.  
  
"Can we help you in any way?" the Leader Ent said "We will try to help as best we can"  
  
"Well, we need some kind of transport to the town of Ezembark" Calvin said.  
  
The Ents shuffled a little.  
  
"We can give you one of our own to transport you. You will find that an Ent`s head is rather comfy" the leader said "Ttosc! Come here. You will help them to Ezembark"  
  
Ttosc emerged from the crowd of trees and smiled a carved face to the leader.  
  
"Yes Master. I will take up this task" Ttosc said. He turned to Karyuu.  
  
"I`m sorry about before" Ttosc said.  
  
Karyuu smiled "It`s alright. I`m sure you`re a nice person. Or tree"  
  
Everyone giggled and gave a cheer as the adventurers left the forest and waved to the Ents. Fen looked on as they left. He slowly slipped in after them, hiding in the shadow of Ttosc.  
  
Karyuu, Leah, Calvin, Rosu and Ttosc all walked out and were immediatly bathed in the red colour, to match the evening sky. Rosu froze.  
  
"What`s that sound?" he asked looking back to the forest entrance. Fen emerged.  
  
"Fen, what ever are you doing here?" Cally enquired as the others looked on.  
  
"Well........" Fen said shuffling his shoes "I was wondering........could I come along with you? I could help you and I promise not to be a bother"  
  
Karyuu laughed "Of course! The more the merrier!" Fen grinned as a thank you.  
  
Ttosc kneeled to the floor and lay down his hand as a bridge.  
  
"Climb aboard! Just sit on my head and hang on. It shouldn`t be too cramped because I cut my branches yesterday" he said in his smaller voice, trying not to wake the sleeping birds in the trees.  
  
Karyuu clambered up the Ents arm, happy to have made friends with two new people. The gang was starting to feel like a family, except Leah was the only girl. He hoped she wouldn`t mind. Rosu climbed up next, then Leah, then Fen and finally Cally.  
  
"Ezembark is near. We should be there in about 3 hours. Let`s go!" Ttosc said, starting to walk, trying not to shake his head.  
  
The family headed into the distance, hanging on to their branches and wondering what would happen to them in Ezembark.  
  
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Wow! I hope that made up for the action-less last chapter. Yay! New characters! Poor Leah, she`s the only girl. But that will change in a few chapters as the last member joins. Nitney!!!  
  
For next time, it`s Cally writing so expect a good chapter. The gang reach Ezembark and meet the Temple Guard who sets a few troubles for them. Also there will be a troll assault! Kepp reading Bizzare Saga!!!!  
  
comments and criticism welcome 


	7. Trolls, Mountains and the Shrine Girl

Spoilers: Not much again...  
  
Disclaimer: Bizzare Saga is copyright of Jordan and Calvin. All art, characters and scenario are joint projects by Jordan-chan and Calvin-sama ~ (Project Alternate Reality)  
  
Author`s Note: Chacha! It`s my turn again (Cally). Sorry for the delay. I have been busy with homework and stuff! lol : ) Well, in this chapter we will see a couple of costume changes and the first real battle where our gang struggle to defeat the beast! Well, I hope you enjoy. I can assure you this chapter is well worth the wait!  
  
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'The boy turned round, his blue eyes almost blending into the crystal clear sky above'  
  
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Chapter 7 ~ Trolls, Mountains and the Shrine Girl  
  
The tree trudged through the morning snow, carrying the five heroes amongst it`s branches. It had been almost a week since they had stopped at a town or village.  
  
Karyuu looked over at Calvin and Leah who were both sitting on the same branch together. They were both giggling wildly. He noticed that they had bonded quite extremely well. Maybe it was the fact that they were brother and sister in the other world. This thought made Karyuu think of his sister, Saiai. He quickly snapped out of his mind.  
  
"According to my directional transfunctioner sphere, Ezembark should be just in a mile`s radius" Rosu said stretching his legs and tapping the blue sphere shaped device he held in his hands. It was transmitting all sorts of clicks and beeps. This was the source of Leah and Calvin`s hyteria. Fen sat beside Rosu.  
  
Calvin giggled and stood up on his branch. He flicked a lock of his hair from his eyes and said "Is this......directional tranfuctionalator things, or whatever it`s called a new invertion of yours?" He giggled.  
  
"Yes it is, Your Highness. I made it last night whilst you were all sleeping" Rosu replied. Fen was looking in on the conversation and smiling.  
  
"You don`t have to call me that! It`s Cally! Remember?" Calvin said annoyed.  
  
"Yup, we can`t be letting the world know we`ve kidnapped the royal prince, can we?" Karyuu said flying over to sit beside Leah and Calvin. Leah was fiddling with the flower-bud in her hair.  
  
"I hate this thing!" Leah said returning to the conversation and smiling at Karyuu. He blushed.  
  
Professor Totten also blushed furiously and sat down fiddling with his machine.  
  
+  
  
"What do you mean you can`t let us in?" Karyuu shouted at the guards outside the Gates of Ezembark. They arrived an hour ago and had wandered up to the town gates. The guards refused to let them in.  
  
"We`re terribly sorry, but the gate is closed to the public right now. Deliveries only, sir!" the guard on the left said and shook his head.  
  
Karyuu and the others walked away. They turned and looked at the gate.  
  
It was fixed onto the front of the huge Ezembark Mountains. They were towering, touching the sky, mingling with the clouds. In the centre of the formation, the town of Ezembark lay.  
  
"Damn! Now how are we going to get the shard?" Leah sighed kicking up dust from under her feet. The mountains were covered in rocks and short grass. Karyuu slumped down on the ground and folded his arms and legs. A perplexed expression spread over his face. Calvin did the same, as he thought that if he copied Karyuu, he would be less Royal-like.  
  
"Well" the young Professor said, walking forward and placing his hand on Leah`s shoulder "All hope is not lost yet!" A wide grin spread over his face. He paced up and down. "You see, I thought this might happen, so I was planning to climb the mountain to get into Ezembark!"  
  
Fen looked surprised. "We`re climbing up that thing?" he motioned towards the mountains. Leah thought different.  
  
"You`re a genius! That`s a great idea!" she hugged the boy as he blushed red yet again. Karyuu glanced up and looked almost....jealous.  
  
"Yes, that`s why they call me Professor!" Rosu said smiling.  
  
"Um, one problem" Fen said in his rough voice. He scratched his furry werewolf ears and he walked over to Leah and Rosu.  
  
Cally stepped forward into the group and drew his eyes off Fen. It was obvious that Calvin, being a prince, was repulsed by Fen`s animalistic ways.  
  
"We need a diversion, if we want to climb up. The place is swarming with guards" Fen continues, ignoring Cally.  
  
"Yeah!" Karyuu said jumping to his feet, joining the conversation "We need a distraction to get the guard`s attention, whilst we climb the mountains" Ttosc was also listening, from the grass.  
  
"But what can we do?" Leah asked a puzzled look on her face. Fen jumped.  
  
"I`ve got it!" he barked in a freindly way "I could turn myself into my wolf form and pretend to attack the guards while you four climb the mountains!"  
  
"But what about Mr.Tree?" Leah said. She had begun calling Ttosc Mr.Tree. Ttosc grumbled and Leah grinned.  
  
"Oh don`t worry about me!" the tree said, ingoring Leah "I`ll just turn myself into a normal tree and rest until you come back from your mission"  
  
"Aw, thanks" Leah said while she hugged the massive Ent friend.  
  
"Ok, let`s do this!" Karyuu said.  
  
"Yeah! Mission Time!" Cally said as he posed.  
  
"There`s no time for this!" Rosu snapped "Fen, are you ready?"  
  
"As ready as I`ll ever be!" he replyed as he tranformed into a strong looking grey wolf. He winked his dark, dark eyes and ran off towards the gates.  
  
"Right come on!" Karyuu said as he pounced intothe air and soared off towards the mountain, the others running behing.  
  
+  
  
When they reached the mountain side, all four of them started to climb up, until they reached a rock mountain path that wound around the moutnains.  
  
"Karyuu, It`s no use. We`ve been travelling for ages and I don`t think we`re getting anywhere!" Leah whined.  
  
"Um, and I`m sure I`ve seen this rock before, so it`s a possability we are walking in circles!" Cally said jumping up and down.  
  
The winged member of the group turned around his blue eyes almost blending in with the clear sky above "......I think we`re lost"  
  
"Ugh! This is............disasterrific!" Cally sighed.  
  
"Did some one say trolls?" a quite croaky voice said from round the corner.  
  
"Show yourself!" Karyuu said drawing his sword.  
  
"Now, now my little nibblings! Don`t be afraid!" the voice said as a tall ugly troll stepped out. It had a hunched back and wore a little hat that dropped down over it`s face. He had a little loincloth on his fat hips. It`s sharp teeth poked out of it`s mouth. "My name is Barclu, and I show poor, helpless little travellers like you how to get through the mountain and into Ezembark!"  
  
"Erm....um......hi!" Leah said sounding confused.  
  
"So will you accept my offer?" the troll said grinning and rubbing it`s hands.  
  
Karyuu put his sword back into his sheath and looked wierdly at Barclu. "Thank you. You are most kind, please hurry. We are in a rush"  
  
The troll licked it`s lips. "This way!" it croaked and started walking on.  
  
None of the gang talked, each one of them focusing on Barclu.  
  
"Where are you taking us?" Rosu demanded.  
  
"Heh heh heh....To Ezembark of course!" Barclu said plodding onwards.  
  
Karyuu gave Cally a reassuring look. They continued walking......  
  
The sky was turning a shade of pink now and the wild monsters they saw on the way were getting steadily more vicious.  
  
"I can`t go on any longer!" Leah shouted flopping down on her knees.  
  
"It`s only a little further to the troll camp. They`re waiting on you`s" Barclu said, then covering his mouth as if he had just revealed a deadly secret.  
  
"What do you mean 'they`re waiting for us'?" Karyuu asked, walking forward and fixing his gloves. His tight fitting warrior outfit was dusty from the adventures they had had. All their clothes were in need of a change.  
  
"It`s nothing my nibblings!" Barclu said stumbling backwards.  
  
"Yes it is, I knew there was something fishy about you!" Rosu snapped.  
  
"I....I" Barclu hesitated then drew a small golden whistle from a pocket in his loincloth. He placed it in his scarred lips and blew a deafning whistle. One low growl sounded and the ground started to shake making the area very unstable.  
  
"What`s happening? I demand an answer!" Cally said clutching on to Leah wtha royal tone in his voice.  
  
"Heeheehee....Have fun with my little pet Behemoth!" Baclu sniggered as he jumped off the side of the mountain.  
  
"A behemoth!" Rosu said in shock. Karyuu was confused, not used to beasts from other worlds, except from things in movies."Those are one of the most formidable feinds in the whole world of Invalince!" [** Invalince is the name of the world **]  
  
"Get ready to fight guys! Here it comes!" Karyuu said as the others drew their weapons. He also drew his sword and fluttered his wings as he hovered above the ground.  
  
The floor shook violently and a huge purple beast broke out of it creating a wide crack in the mountain path in it`s wake. It had two large horns that curled round it`s face and it`s eyes were almond shaped and yellow. It had rough skin on it`s belly and the rest was matted purple fur. It had a huge mouth, the side of a large car in Karyuu`s world, home to a row of deadly teeth.  
  
It roared another deafning roar, the impact of it forcing Calvin to fly backwards into the hole.  
  
"Help me!" he shouted as he plunged down.  
  
"Calvin!" Karyuu cried reaching for his friend`s arm "We`ve got to get him!" Calvin fell.  
  
"Don`t bother! Vampires can survive falls like that! He`ll be fine. Worry about ouselves!" Rosu shouted throught the Behemoths strong ounches to him. Rosu dodged them.  
  
The three turned to face the Behemoth. It lunged forward swiping at Karyuu, who flew into the air and slammed his sword into the Behemoth.  
  
Karyuu then stuck his sword into the beasts head.  
  
Leah stood on the spot, energy flying round her and she used a Fira spell, making an explosion of flame burst into the feind`s chest. Rosu ran about slashing at it with his sword. But the attacks were useless.  
  
The Behemoth jumped backwards and started to charge up and attack. Immediatly a burst of blue flames poured from it`s mouth and it started to rupture out.  
  
"Oh my! What are we gonna do?" Leah said tapping her head with her wand. She looked up and cast a Shell spell, making a small barrier round them. Then the monster bellowed and let out another burst of blue flames. Karyuu was knocked from the sky and they all screamed in agony.  
  
They huddled close together on the ground.  
  
"We....we need a plan" Karyuu gasped.  
  
"Indeed!" Rosu replied.  
  
"But what?" Karyuu said in a puzzled voice as he struck the beast with a water element-infused attack, Liquid Steel.  
  
"Rosu, what about the invention you made, the one that appears from a capsule? The Omega Cannon?" Leah said while casting a desperate Blizzaga spell.  
  
"It`s still in work, but it`s worth a shot" Rosu said bringing out a tiny capsule from a leather pouch around his waist. He threw it on the floor and in a puff of smoke, a huge mechanical gun appeared. Rosu rested it on his shoulder.  
  
"It will take some time to charge, so please distract it!" Rosu said switching it on.  
  
Karyuu jumped into the air and kicked the Behemoths`s head. This made it try to catch him but it`s arms were too short.  
  
"OK! Now Rosu!" Leah shouted pointing at the enemy, army leader style.  
  
Rosu pulled the trigger and a huge bolt of yellow light was shot at the Behemoth. It staggered backwards, killing it. It slumped to the floor, and slowly, pyreflies floating around it, it disappeared.  
  
"Finally!" Karyuu cried jumpin up and down.  
  
"Now let`s find Cally!" Leah said.  
  
+  
  
The three reached the town of Ezembark by midday, still in shock that they could not find any sign of their friendly vampire team mate.  
  
They walked into the town that had hundreds of little green and brown houses, surrounded by the mountains. They town was situated in a clearing. They place was bustling with people talking and buying and selling. Children ran about with baloons and dogs while mothers gossiped. They walked by a shop and heard a voice.  
  
"Guys! We`re over here!" it shouted.  
  
"Could that be Cally?" Rosu asked as the boy ran towards him followed by another figure.  
  
"Hey there!" Fen shouted. It was Fen and Calvin. Fen smiled. Calvin was different.  
  
He had blue dungarees that had baggy shorts over them. A huge thick belt that had many chains attached to it was hanging loosely over his hips. He also had three ear peircings in his right ear. He wore a black sleeveless top and he had a pair of goggles wrapped around his head, the lens sitting on his forehead.  
  
"Um, Cally. You look like a mix and match jumble sale!" Karyuu joked.  
  
Calvin smiled. "I`ve also got these!" he said fumling with his belt. He took out two twin pistols.  
  
"Guns!" Leah exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, I thought they were pretty! Plus, I`m fed up with fighting with my hands. I wanted a change" Calvin replied.  
  
"That`s lame...." Karyuu said with a faint smile.  
  
"Hey that`s mean!" Calvin said.  
  
"We need to find the shard! Fen, did you find out anything?" Rosu said.  
  
"Yeah, I threatened a guard with death and he gave me the location of the shard. It`s ina temple. But there`s one thing........." Fen said.  
  
"Never mind, let`s get to the Temple!" Rosu said. Fen didnt want to argue.  
  
"Follw me, a merchant told me the way" Calvin said. They all followed him out of Ezembark.  
  
+  
  
Inside the rocky interior of the Ezembark Temple, the gang stood in awe at the sheer mass the temple was.  
  
"Hello.....Welcome to Ezembark Temple!" a young girl`s voice said boredly.  
  
"Uh...hi" Cally said.  
  
The girl stepped out. She was around Cally`s age and she was very beautiful. Radiant even. Her hair was golden and wavy. She wore green shrine robes and carried a staff with a complicated design on top of it. But her eyes were a malovent red colour.  
  
"We`re here for the Earth shard" Rosu said.  
  
"And we`re not leaving without it!" Fen added. The rest looked at him. He wasn`t like that before. Karyuu smiled.  
  
The girl looked taken aback. She kept glancing at Calvin. Calvin blushed.  
  
"The Earth Shard? You know of it?" she asked still gazing at Calvin.  
  
"Yes of course. We do or we wouldn`t be here" Leah said.  
  
"OK. I souldn`t let you but, this once...... OK you can go in" the girl said.  
  
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  
  
Music : Koda Kumi / 1000 Words  
  
Well, I`m pretty satisfied with this chapter. Cally changed outfit [ Gunner FFX2 ] so will Leah and Karyuu too next chapter! And yeah, welcome NITNEY!!! [huggles] What will await the gang in the Shrine? Expect an explosive chapter!!!  
  
Comments and Critisism welcome 


	8. The Labyrinth, the Sphinx and the Light ...

Spoilers: Not much again...  
  
Disclaimer: Bizzare Saga is copyright of Jordan and Calvin. All art, characters and scenario are joint projects by Jordan-chan and Calvin-sama ~ (Project Alternate Reality) Also, I`ve used some Final Fantasy things so – Final Fantasy is copyright to Square-enix.  
  
Author`s Note: It`s my turn now (selkie_boi) Hope you liked chapter 7. We`re both sorry for all the delays, but we`ve been busy. Sorry! Ok, this time we find the gang in the Ezembark Labyrinth, which they are led into, in order to get the shard. Nitney is the newest character and we`ll be seeing a lot more of her. Oh, yes a lot more! Ok, so here it is – Chapter 8. Enjoy!  
  
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  
  
'The hardest person to know is yourself....' --- Paine [Final Fantasy X-2]  
  
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  
  
Chapter 8 ~ The Labyrinth, the Sphinx and Confrontations  
  
The girl teared her eyes of Calvin and turned to a huge door engraved in the wall. It had funny slots all round it and wierd patterns all round it. The shrine girl fubled in her robe pockets and brought out a shining, glimmering sphere. It was blue and looked like it was containing a tornado of clouds.  
  
"I should be letting you in her, you all know that don`t you?" the girl said as she inserted the sphere into the hole in the middle of the door.  
  
"Yes, we do" Rosu said staring at the door facinated. The girl twisted and turned the sphere, like she was opening a safe.  
  
"And you all know that we will all be imprisoned until we die if I am caught?" she fired back still rotating the object.  
  
"Y, yes...." Cally said still blushing and staring at her long fair hair. She turned round, her hands still fumbling. Her crimson eyes focused on Calvin.  
  
"What?" she said blushing. Calvin looked at his feet.  
  
"Goodness sake....." Karyuu and Leah murmured in unison. They looked at each other and giggled.  
  
"Erm....what`s your name? I don`t mean to be rude" Calvin said bowing low.  
  
The girl looked up again. "I`m Nitney. I`m the Shrine keeper" she said returning to her door.  
  
Finally, Nitney finished fiddling with the door and let go of the sphere. She stood back and watched along with the rest of them. Fen, Rosu, Calvin, Leah and Karyuu all gasped as the engravings started glowing an eerie blue light, the same as the sphere. The temple floor rumbled as the huge door slid up and opened fully revealing a blinding light. It finally dimmed down revealing a hedge of the deepest green.  
  
"Welcome to the Ezembark Labyrinth!" Nitney said brightly her blood-red eyes gleaming.  
  
"Wow!" Fen said his tail wagging like a dog`s. The group stared at the hedge as though it was something marvellous.  
  
"It`s only a hedge!" Karyuu exclaimed giggling. Leah grinned. The two were the most mischeivious of the gang and also the most fun-seeking. Nitney glared.  
  
"Wait, did you say Labyrinth?" Rosu said looking worried.  
  
"Yes, yes. But it is only a maze. No feinds. If you are really intent on taking the shard I`ll lead you to it. Follow me" the shrine girl said stepping through the door.  
  
"I bet that`s not all she wants...." Leah whispered to Karyuu and thumbing to Calvin. Karyuu clamped his hands over his mouth to stop the laughter as the rest moved in. Karyuu made a funny noise behind his hands as him and Leah walked into the maze. As they all stepped in and disappear a shadowy figure emerged from behing a statue inside the temple.  
  
The figure limped over to the door. It walked in a peculiar way and it`s arms and legs were differnet lengths. It was a Button. It`s freakish smile was spread along it`s face and it`s careless sewing was done in differnet colours. It`s button eyes were looking at the door.  
  
"Take it" another voice said. It belonged to another shadowy figure that appeared in the doorway at the other side of the room. In the torch-light, his fase showed scars and evil, sharp eyes. And on top of his head was a top hat. He carried a cane and wore black colours and leather.  
  
And this time, the man had a different item in his left hand. It was a tiny ragdoll with ragged sewing and buttons attached for eyes. Like a mini- Button. It jumped out his hand and tottered accross to the larger Button. It reached out a frayed hand and touched it`s bigger form. Immediatly the human size Button screamed a twisted scream and blew up in an explosion of material. A high pitched, child-like giggle echoed in the room as the small thing jumper extremly high for it`s size and snatched the globe in the door.  
  
The heavy stone door stopped glowing and slammed to the floor, making a little 'click' to notify it`s closure. The evil little ragdoll wandered over to it`s owner and handed it the sphere. He reached out and took it and taking the doll with him aswell.  
  
"Now we have the prince....." he said grinning in the dim light "Me and my new waepon......." The doll cackled it`s evil laugh as the tall, slender man walked out the shrine doors, to do what he had to do next.  
  
+  
  
Nitney led the gang down a long hallway of hedges and they trudged along behind her. Leah and Karyuu were still giggling. Rosu had Karyuu`s sword in his hand and had a little blowtorch out. He was cutting little dents it the blade.  
  
"We can put the shards into these slots. They`ll also power up you`re sword. Here" Rosu said handing Karyuu back his sword. It had a gleaming white crystal in one of the dents. It was Rosu`s shard.  
  
"Thanks" Karyuu said, his face red from laughing. Leah was now fiddling with the flower on her head. She growled and pointed her wand at it. An explosion sounded and in a second Leah`s hair was changed. She now had middle length dark brown hair. It had little braids every here and there. Also on top was a big white sun hat with little blue and red braids round the brim.  
  
"Much better!" she exclaimed as Fen laughed. "What?" she said.  
  
"Cool hat!" Fen joked. Leah shot him a death-glare. They all kept walking.  
  
They came to a crossroad. Nitney stopped and turned to them. Calvin had been chatting to her all the way up the narrow passage and she was chatting back.  
  
"Ok, everyone go right, there`s a trap down that way" she said nodding to the left. She kept walking and chatting. The rest followed. They walked and walked through the Labyrinth until a female – like roar echoed through the maze. Nitney`s red eyes widened.  
  
"A...a....a feind? There was none last time!" she exclaimed. She really looked worried. Calvin, Rosu, Fen and even Karyuu and Leah all looked attent.  
  
"Swords everyone..." Karyuu mumbled drawing his new dented sword. Leah took her wand out, Calvin his new guns, Ross his sword and Fen turned itno a half-wolf. The animalistic roar sounded again and seconds later, a woman walked round the corner. She had a slim build and she wore a tiny top and tiny shorts. But she wans`t an ordinary woman.  
  
She had furry lion-like legs and paws. Her hair was silver and she wore a tiara. Her eyes were cat-like and she had large grey wings. She spoke in a soft, eerie voice.  
  
"I am the Sphinx. I ask you a question. Wrong, death for you. Right, I`ll let you past. But I have been sent here to collect a prince. Which one is it?" she said. She stared at them all. Nitney let out a terrified squeak. She held her fancy staff tightly.  
  
"I am the prince. What of it, woman?" Calvin said regally. He stood in front of Nitney.  
  
"Then, I`ll skip the question" she said and in the speed of light she punced at Calvin.  
  
"Get her!" Fen shouted jumping towards her. He blocked her path and the two wrestled on the floor. Fen let out a howl and her bit into the Sphinx deeply. She screeched and stood up. He gazed at Fen and he suddenly froze. She then tooked up and Fen was telekinetically thrown up in the air.  
  
Calvin drew him guns. He ran and shot at her and then with his superhuman abilities, jumped extremely high and flipped over her. Still firing he landed and the Sphinx roared and Karyuu and Rosu moved in too. They hacked and slashed away at her with their swords. She roared and looked up to the sky.  
  
"Cosmic storm! Arise!" she roared and immediatly, the sapphire sky vanished and was replaced by a starry night sky. A hole opened up in the stars and suddenly, huge boulders and rocks came falling from the air. They crashed down on the labyrinth one after another and caused a huge mushroom cloud of dust to blow upwards. The gangs screams rang through Ezembark as the portal closed and the last boulder dropped.  
  
Multiple explosions rippled through Nitney and Leah as they watched in horror and eventually, nothing could be seen but white. The white dimmed down and there, lying on the floor was Calvin, Karyuu, Rosu and Fen.  
  
"No!" Leah shouted raising her wand and pointing at the Sphinx. The feind- woman just laughed at Leah and winked.  
  
"You cannot harm me little girl. Just go away and leave me to get the prince, would you?" she said as Leah raised from the floor as though invisible hands were holding her up. The Sphinx then clicked her fingers and Leah was shouting in pain as yellow bolts surrounded her. Nitney screamed too, terrified that all this was happening to her and her new friends.  
  
She raised her gold staff above her head and shouted "Cure!". A blinding light shone and Karyuu stood up, uninjured. Fen, Cally and Rosu also stood. Nitney then resorted to hitting the woman with her staff.  
  
"Buggar off!" the mystical being yelled as she threw Nitney aside. She landed in a heap on the floor. Calvin went to tend to her.  
  
"Let her go!" Karyuu growled ferociously, pointing his sword at the woman`s neck. Leah was still cought in the spell and Karyuu sent a huge blow of his sword racing to the feind`s stomach. Her yellow eyes widened as she put off the spell and crouched to the floor. By now, the stars from her other spell had worn off and the blue sky returned. Karyuu flew up into it then plunged down to meet the shaking Leah.  
  
"It`s ok....." he whispered to her in his arms "I`ll always stay by your side..." Leah had a tear in her eye and she huddled as close to her friend as she could. As the two sat hgging each other, Rosu and Fen ran towards their enemy. She stood up and spread her wings.  
  
"Now, you shall all die!" she shouted as she raised her hands to the sky "Cosmic Storm!"  
  
"Here we go again!" Rosu warned Fen. Nitney stood up again, Calvin at her side. She raised her staff once more and cast a bubble round each of her companions. They sky rumbled with thunder and it split open again, revealing the stars. This time, lightning bolts crashed down and immediatly after, the barricade of meteors fell on the maze again. The ground below them shook as the rocks crashed onto it and on top of the gang. This time, they were protected though.  
  
But they were wrong. The Sphinx clicked her fingers again, through the crashes of meteors and immediatly, Leah and Karyuu`s bubble burst. They screamed as a rock toppled down on them. She repeated again and Nitney and Calvin`s one burst.  
  
"Quickly! Before she does it to us! .........No!" Rosu said as his bubble burst and he was bombarded with rocks. Only Fen was left. In the split second that the woman clicked her fingers, Fen transformed and pounced on her. He opened his jaws and clamped them round her neck. Then he slaughtered her. She fell from the sky and collapsed in a heap. Suddenly, the ateroids stopped and the sky returned. The Sphinx was defeated. Little globules of light escaped her disappearing body.  
  
"Pyreflies?" Fen murmered as the woman disappeared and the specks faded into the sunlight. The rest all groaned and Fen turned to se them all. Calvin was helping Nitney up and Karyuu and Leah were huddled together not moving. Rosu was standing up and stretching his neck.  
  
"Karyuu? Leah?" Fen said walking over to them. They didn`t move.  
  
"Why aren`t they moving?" inquired Calvin "Are you guys ok?"  
  
Finally, Karyuu stood up. "Ouch...." Karyuu said as Leah stood up too "Is everyone ok?"  
  
"Yeah we`re fine. Are you?" Nitney asked. She had a concerned look on her face.  
  
"I`m fine. Thanks to Karyuu..." Leah said looking at her friend. He blushed.  
  
"It was nothing" Karyuu said. Leah went over and hugged Karyuu tightly. He returned in and then they all turned to look at Nitney.  
  
"Where are we to go now?" Rosu said "The hedges are destroyed" He was right. There were craters in the ground and the hedges were smouldering. They had huge gaps in them too.  
  
"I am truly sorry!" Nitney cried "I did not know of any beasts! Someone must have put them in!" Calvin hushed her and said it was ok. He laid his hand on her shoulder. Leah and Karyuu giggled again.  
  
"I will have to heal you all! That is my speciality. White Magic." she said raising her wand. She did another healing spell and they all felt brand new and refreshed. "Now, this way if you please. We are nearly there"  
  
+  
  
They walked another half an hour until they reached the centre of the maze. There, on a elaborate blue pillar, the Earth Shard floated.  
  
"There it is!" Rosu cried in a childish voice. Karyuu grinned and went to reach for it.  
  
Suddenly, with no warning at all, a huge spotlight flooded over them all. By now they sky was a pinkish colour, nearly night. They looked around for the lights source and gasped.  
  
A huge zepplin was hovering above them, it was huge. It`s massive shadow was creeoing over the green hedges and the spotlight shone brightly on the group. And on top of the gleaming white blimp, was a dark figure. He jumped down from in and landed beside them. Immediately after, a tiny ragdoll sized figure jumped down after him and landed on his shoulder.  
  
"Hello. Miss me?" the man said. He wore black trousers and a black coat over them. He also had a tophat on his head and carried a cane. It was the Button Man.  
  
"You!" Calvin sneered at him as the ragdoll cackled in a high pitched voice.  
  
"Like my new friend?" the slim man asked as the doll hopped down from his shoulder and toddled over to the gang "He`s called Voodoo Button"  
  
Right enough, the doll had a twisted smiling mouth and two buttons for eyes. A mini-Button. But this one had pins sticking out of it. One red, one blue, one yellow and one white. It cackled again.  
  
"Let me explain how it works" the Button Man said in a bored, posh voice "It is simply a miniature Button. A little Button to help me. A henchman if you like. What I do is stab it with these here elemental pins" he showed them another pin, this time a black headed one. He whistled for the doll and he sharply peirced it with the new pin. It was surrounded by a dark light and then it stopped and giggled again in the freakish voice.  
  
"Now I have inserted Gravity magic into him. Mind being a guinnea-pig?" he said as he ordered the Voodoo Button to attack. It ran up to Calvin and touched him. Ice crystals swirled around him and they exploded in a huge burst of frost.  
  
The blast was so great that everyone but Calvin and Nitney were propelled through the hedges in different directions. They flew through and landed a huge distance away. Leah and Fen went to the west and Karyuu and Rosu were sent flying to the east.  
  
The Button Man recalled his little doll and took out his cane. He slipped off the top and adjusted it a bit. It doubled as a gun. I was a thin machine gun.  
  
"Now, get in the zepplin. You too girlie" he sneered pointing the gun at Nitney and Calvin. They hugged each other and looked at each other. They had only just met and they were getting whisked away against their will.  
  
"Move. Now!" the man snapped at them. Yet still, they did not move.  
  
The Button Man snatched the Shard from it`s pedstal and aimed his gun at Nitney.  
  
"Why do you need that? You only want me!" shouted Cally.  
  
"Well.........let`s say I`m planning something for your Daddy" he replied. Calvin`s eyes widened.  
  
"What have you done? What are you going to do?" Calvin spat. Nitney sobbed silently. "If you even touch my father I`ll...."  
  
"I believe he is on my side. Through a little persuasion of course..." the Button Man said with a bored look on his face. Calvin yelled and took out his guns.  
  
"Leave my family alone! Leave my friends alone! Leave me alone!" Calvin said so loud that some birds flew out a bush. By now the sky was red, night- time. It matched Nitney`s slightly damp eyes.  
  
Calvin aimed his guns at his enemy. The man looked offended. He sneered and loaded his slim machine gun.  
  
"You are challenging me? Fair enough. Your father did say dead or alive...." the Button Man said.  
  
Suddenly with no warning at all, Nitney stepped in front of Calvin. Her white robes shining in the spotlight, her crimson eyes vivid and tear- stained. Her staff shone gold in the light also and in Calvin`s opinion, she looked beautiful, with an essence of innocence. The patterns around her robe cuffs where so detailed and her blonde hair was so silky and soft- looking.  
  
"If you shall fight him, you shall fight me too" she said plainly. Her grip on her staff tightened.  
  
"If I must..." the cruel man sighed. He fired his fun once at Nitney and she fell. At once, Calvin leaped into the air firing rapidly at the Button Man. He grunted as the bullets grazed him. He turned around to Calvin and shot his gun. The constant patter of more and more shots being fired. Calvin dodged the shots and fired a few rounds of his own guns.  
  
Nitney stood up again and ran up to the preoccupied man and dealed a blow to his head. He yelled and turned to her. Again she whacked him with her staff. This bought Calvin enough time to reload. But he didn`t. Instead he put the guns back in their pouches and his eyes went redder than Nitney`s. His skin went pale, his nails grew and his insisors were replaced by two sharp fangs.  
  
"Calvin?" Nitney gasped. The Button Man whistled for his Voodoo Button and it punced on Nitney. She screamed and beat it with her rod.  
  
Calvin hissed and sprung on the man. Something clattered off the floor. The shard, he had dropped it.  
  
"No!" he said scrambling for it. Cally grabbed his shoulders and jumped high in the air. He flung him on the floor and stamped on him.  
  
"You little......freak!" the Button Man said as he kicked Calvin off him. Calvin bounced back and swiped furiously at him. The man`s skin tore and blood seeped out of it.  
  
"I told you before! Stay out my life! Leave me alone!" he yelled as he swooped down on the man. He screamed as the vampire bit his neck. Calvin sucked the blood and threw him away after drinking, like an old towel. The Man lay quivering. Calvin turned back to his normal self and went to tend to Nitney. She was still screaming and beating the evil creature.  
  
Calvin shouted at it and it turned around. It looked at him and he stopped. Frozen. Still. Petrified.  
  
Nitney screamed and raised her staff. A brilliant white light filled her eyes and a huge sound filled the air. The sound of pure energy. Then there was silence.  
  
+  
  
A ray of brilliant white light burst throught the maze. Karyuu and Rosu gasped. They only regained consciousness seconds ago.  
  
"What`s going on?" Karyuu said. Rosu gazed at the site. They were lying on a heap of hedges and rubble. They had dust all over their clothes. They were ruined.  
  
"I don`t know" Rosu said in his worried, childish voice. His chocolate brown eyes were lit up by the beam.  
  
"What? Where`s Leah? And Fen?" Karyuu exclaimed. He had feelings for Leah. Leah the Magic Turnip.  
  
Rosu shrugged and beckoned for Karyuu to follow. Karyuu spread his crumpled wings and took into the air.  
  
"You head into the middle! Help Calvin! I`m going to find Leah!" he shouted from the air. Rosu did a little solute and took off at some speed to the middle of the maze, a clear path now made from the earlier blast. The beam was still blaring.  
  
+  
  
Elsewhere, Leah and Fen were also running. But they were not trying to get to someone. They were getting away from someone. Or something to be exact. A huge beast that Fen identified as a Chimera was chasing the two down the narrow, winding labyrinth pass. After the blast, they had been flung into him and he wasn`t very happy.  
  
A chimera was a fearsome beast. It had three heads, one bull, one eagle, and one ram. It had a purple stomach and furry lion legs. It`s tail was a snake and it had steam escaping it`s jaws. It was running at a frightening pace and Leah sreamed as she ran.  
  
"That`s it!" Leah yelled. She about turned and faced the feind.  
  
"Leah? What are you doing?" Fen exclaimed stopping and dragging her on onwards by her arm.  
  
"No! I know how to defeat them!" she said wisely. The beast reared up and faced the two. Fen took a sharp intake of breath as Leah held her wand forwards. Her wand glowed an eerie blue colour and a small puddle of water appeared beneath the chimera. Then, an explosion of water flew upwards, damaging it. Then Leah`s wand went red. A burst of flame shot out the tip and burnt the chimera`s left eagle head.  
  
"Bite it`s tail!" she yelled at Fen, who transfromed. Leah shot a burst of ice at the bull head and a bolt of lightning at the ram.  
  
"Now!" she screamed and Fen jumped and bit the snake. The beast roared and fell to the floor, dead. Pyreflies escaped it`s body too and again, it disappeared.  
  
In a burst of leaves, Karyuu flew through the bush.  
  
"Sorry, my wing`s damaged" he said. His wing was bleeding slightly. "Are you guys ok?"  
  
He went over and hugged Leah. Then he turned to Fen and smiled at him.  
  
"We`re fine. What`s going on though? Where`s Calvin and Nitney?" Leah said.  
  
Karyuu looked scared and the bright light from the middle shone on his young, lightly tanned face." I don`t know. But we need to get there. Let`s go!"  
  
The three started running towards the light source. 100 metres away, Rosu was nearer to the light. His little helmet bobbed up and down and his dungarees dropped clumsily over his shoes.  
  
In the middle Nitney`s shouting and the Button Man`s cursing were drowned by the roaring of the spell. Nitney shrieked and the light itself seemed to explode outwards. The maze srembled as the spell cut off and died.  
  
Silence.  
  
+  
  
"Are you ok?" a soft voice said. Nitney`s head was spinning like she`d been thrown against a wall repeatedly. She groaned and opened her left eye slightly. Standing there was Leah. She had changed though. Her hair was normal again and it was dark, glossy and combed, about shoulder`s length and she had a large floppy, decorated hat in her small fists.  
  
She had a tank top on, a sleeveless one, light green in colour and she had various bangles round her wrist, including beads. She had a tiny pair of khaki shorts with a huge brown belf on. The shorts were nearly taken up purely with pockets. Finally, she wore big, fluffy snow boot that were balck. She looked different.  
  
"How are you feeling?" she asked Nitney. They were in a small hut that had two beds, a cabinet and a little chair and stove. It was cozy. Nitney shut her eyes and answered.  
  
"Sore" she said trying a painful smile. Leah giggled."Where`s the others? How is Calvin?" She sat up and groaned. She flopped back down.  
  
"He`s fine. He woke an hour ago. He`s only a bit bruised. The Button Man escaped just after you were knocked out with the shard" Leah said. "We got to you and took you out. The Shrine is destroyed. So is the maze. What did you do anyway?"  
  
Nitney opened her eyes fully and sat up with extreme pain." I asked for the gods` help. I have practised for years, to heal and pray. That is the most I can manage."  
  
Leah smiled. "You were brilliant" The cloth flap at the door opened and Karyuu stepped in. He too had changed clothes. He had a sleeveless top, white with blue rings at the hips, neck and shoulders and he had shorts on, blue in colour. But on top of the shorts, fastened on, was the baggy bottoms of trousers [** Like Riku (Kingdom hearts) **] they matched his shirt. But on the trousers had little yellow and blue lines up the side.  
  
"Hi. How you feeling?" he said in his young voice. He smiled as he laid some yellow flowers on the desk.  
  
"I`m........Ok" Nitney said taking a sniff of the flowers "Thanks"  
  
"From Calvin. He`s still wore out. I`ve got a plan now. We`ll get Rosu to take us to the next town and we`ll get the Shard off the Button Man and send it to you." Karyuu said seriously.  
  
"No" Nitney said her crimson eyes full of life now "I`m coming. I`m in your team now" Karyuu grinned.  
  
"Ok then, we set off in two days. Thank you for your help!" Leah said as she smiled and left the house. Karyuu left too leaving her to slepp.  
  
Nitney lay smiling. She thought Calvin was so cute sending her flowers. She felf proud to be helping now. The newest member.............  
  
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  
  
Music for this chapter – Simple and Clean (Remix / Intro) ~ Kingdom Hearts  
  
Well, hope you liked the chapter! Slightly longer and with more action. Hope there wasn`t too much action though. Ok, we saw two relationships with the characters – Leah and Karyuu, and Calvin and Nitney. More on that in later chapters...... Also, some costume changes. Cally will draw some art and I`ll put a link to them, ok?  
  
Ok, next time, it`s Calvin`s turn and Ttosc maked a crucial decision, while Rosu swaps weapons and decides to get rid of the know-it-all attitude. Also, some more on Calvin`s past and possibly an appearance by Shota. Keep reading!  
  
Comments and Criticism welcome 


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